Fire from the Sun: Belgian artist Michaël Borremans’ Dystopian Infants

Description

The second gallery to open its doors in Hong Kong’s sleek new art building, H Queens, is that of art mogul David Zwirner, who has built an empire showcasing and selling provocative art at his branches in the US and London.

This affecting exhibit features a series of oil paintings, all from 2017, by Belgian painter Borremans, who depicts grim but elegantly realised scenes of bloodied, cannibalistic children. Among them are a few paintings of machines, which, juxtaposed alongside these visages of humanity raise questions the viewer is invited to ponder.

With sophisticated brushwork and control of mood, colour and composition, these Lord-of-the-Flies-esque scenes are an homage as much to the history of art, particularly the bold mastery of Goya, as they are hauntingly forward-looking.