Thomas Renwart

Thomas Renwart (°1995, Poeke, Belgium) graduated in 2019 at LUCA School of Arts gaining his masters in Textiles. He developed a textiles practice where crafts-ship and poetic depictions of a horticultural universe constantly meet. Starting with written matter, a world is built around it, carefully translated into tactile matter. Thomas' techniques are jacquard weaving, embroidery, quilting and digital printing. His career started with a weaving speciality in the Damask technique, where he delves into the many ways of how this technique can grow. Monochromic weaving to him, enhances the viewing experience. In recent years, he has returned to the essence of needle and thread, focusing on embroidery as a reference to the female lineage of his family across two generations, along with all the traditions and meanings associated with it.

He creates all of his works based on encounters and experiences from his own life and surroundings. His identity as a queer person and his experience with Tourette syndrome run through the work as a recurring thread, not as dominant themes, but as underlying elements that subtly inform his practice. Currently, he has also returned to weaving in his studio, resulting in an oeuvre that now encompasses a wide range of techniques and expressions, each occupying its own distinct place within his artistic practice.

Thomas Renwart has yet participated in several gallery and insitutional exhibitions in Belgium, Netherlands, France, Germany and USA. In 2020 he had a solo at Kunsthal Gent ‘Gilding The Lily’ which was followed with a large installation as part of the ‘Endless Exhibition’. In 2021 the artist was laureate of the Dorothy Waxman Prize 2021 by Parsons (NY ,USA) and also won two Henry Van De Velde award for his work as a textile artist. In the same year his artist book ‘Comme si de rien n'était: Catalogue & Cahier Intime’ was published by MER. B&L. In the beginning 2022 he had a solo in the Europe House (London, UK) by invitation of the Belgian Embassy and later that year the Flemish government acquired a work for the collection of the Flemish Community which is given on loan to the Mu.Zee collection in Ostend. In 2023 he has his first solo show ‘Highway Vagabond’ at Barbé gallery followed by a solo at Kunsthalle Lissabon in December 2023. In 2024 he had a solo at Thomas Rehbein (Cologne, DE) in 2024 followed by a group show at Stedelijk Museum Aarschot. In 2025 he participated in the inaugural exhibition at the ABBY Museum in Kortrijk.

CV

Thomas Renwart
°1995 (BE)
Works in Ghent (BE)​

Selected Exhibitions

2025
F*LKLORE - Reinventing tradition / group exhibition/ ABBY Museum/ Kortrijk (BE)
THIEVING MAGPIE/ solo presentation/ Barbé Gallery/ Ghent (BE)

2024
LIFE IN THE MARGIN / group exhibition curated by Alice Vanderschoot & Ellen Pil / Gevaertsdreef01 / Oudenaarde (BE)
DEAR FUTURE ME / group exhibition / Thomas Rehbein Gallery / Cologne (DE)
OOIDONK ART FESTIVAL / group exhibition / Francis Maere Fine Arts / Deinze (BE)
WORKS ON PAPER / group exhibition / Barbé Gallery / Ghent (BE)
DE RAMPE / group exhibition / Kwaremont (BE)
DINOSAURS & BUTTERFLIES / group exhibition / Barbé Gallery / Ghent (BE)
LOOKING FOR CLUES / Stedelijk museum Aarschot / Aarschot (BE)
ART DÜSSELDORF / booth Thomas Rehbein Gallery / Düsseldorf (DE)
ART BRUSSELS / Thomas Rehbein Gallery / Brussels (BE)
SHELTER FROM THE STORM / Thomas Rehbein Gallery / Cologne (DE)

2023
ART COLOGNE / Thomas Rehbein Gallery / Cologne (DE)
HALLOWED HALLS / Kunsthalle Lissabon / Lisbon (PT)
THOMAS RENWART / Alter Schlachthof / Eupen (DE)
L’AUTUNNO / Archipel / Deweer Gallery Estate / Otegem (BE)
BARBÉ X KETELEER / Dr. Debeirwoning by Huub Hoste / Knokke (BE)
TRACES AND DAFFODILS / Thomas Rehbein Gallery / Cologne (DE)
WORKS ON PAPER / Barbé / Ghent (BE)
HIGHWAY VAGABOND / Barbé / Ghent (BE)
IN MEDIAS RES / Barbé / Ghent (BE)

2022
WAR ON RUGS / Hof van Cleve / Kruisem (BE)
EVERYBODY HAS A PLAN UNTIL THEY GET PUNCHED IN THE MOUTH / Barbé / Ghent (BE)
EMERGENT INVITES: THOMAS RENWART / Emergent / Veurne (BE)
THE MOST SUNNY HOUR OF YOUR NIGHT / Ti-Pi Art Space / Ghent (BE)
ROSES FROM THE COUNTRY HOUSE / Shönfeld C / Brussels (BE)
GOLDEN HOUR FADED BLACK / KIOSK / Ghent (BE)
SOUS LES CIEUX ET LES NUAGES: THE GARDEN EDITION / Kunsthal / Ghent (BE)
A PLAY ON PLAGUES AND ARROWS / Waldburger Wouters / Brussels (BE)
PARADISE IS VERY FRAGILE / 12 Star Gallery / London (UK)
MAGELLAN / Barbé at Dr. Debeirwoning by Huub Hoste / Knokke (BE)

2021
CHANTS OF A GARGOYLES / Waldburger Wouters / Brussels (BE)
PARTIR DANS LA NUIT / Claessens Canvas / Waregem (BE)
LA MORT DES AMANTS / Schönfeld Gallery / Brussels (BE)
BALLROOM PROJECT / Borgerhub / Antwerp (BE)
L’IVRESSE DU JEU / Art Rotterdam / Rotterdam (NL)
PASS, KUNST IN DORPEN / Huise Kerk / Huise (BE)
UTOPE / MJ Fine Arts / Brussels (BE)
LA PIOGGIA / Artissima Art Fair / Torino (IT)

2020 (as Les Monsigneurs)
LES MONSIGNEURS / solo exhibition / CC Scharpoord / Knokke (BE)
TRIENNALE MILANO / Gafpa / Milan (IT)
AVANT LA LETTRE / Bruthaus Gallery / Waregem (BE)
GILDING THE LILY / Kunsthal / Ghent (BE)
WATERING PLANTS / Spoiler Zone / Berlin (DE)

Prizes

Winner: Henry Van De Velde 2021 Award

Publications

Comme si de rien n’était: Catalogue & Cahier Intime, published in 2021 by MER. B&L