Roland Devolder was born in 1938 in Oostende, which will deeply influence his painting. Just as Ensor and Spilliaert, he is one of the many artists greatly inspired by this whimsical city. Worthy heir of the Flemish Realism, Roland Devolder preserves and renews the tradition of mockery and madness that has been a main source of inspiration for the Flemish painters over the centuries. To this darkness always responds a thread of light and a few symbols. To the point that his canvases and ink drawings seem to express the multiplicity of states and the emotions that accompany them. Dreams and reality intertwine; hope and fate complete each other.

Admirer of Daumier, he sublimates colors and shapes with an inexhaustible imaginative force. The drawing at home is precise, instantaneous almost too fast. But all these components result in a picturesque beauty and a critical vision of society that prompts us to reflect.

An implacable but nonetheless compassionate observer of human beings, Roland Devolder immediately perceives their faults, does not hesitate to underline them, envelops them in a kind of indulgent and fraternal complicity, very discreetly risks himself at a point of humor, but constantly fears disrespecting those whose awkwardness, shyness and perhaps even bad intentions he wants to respect. All these good children, these reserved lovers, these solitary walkers are not as harmless as one might think.

(Text taken from the book dedicated to Roland Devolder, Auréoline editions, November 2012)

An artist recognized among all, Roland Devolder is represented by numerous art galleries in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Luxembourg, Spain and also in the United States. His works are present in several collections, including those of the King and Queen of the Belgians, at the Museum of Ostend or in the Chalcography of the Royal Library of Brussels.