Belgian Painter Sara Bervoets emerges as One to Watch

Her work is not built around themes or concepts imposed from the outside; instead, it grows from lived experience. Each canvas carries traces of autobiography — fragments of memory, tension, vulnerability and resilience.

Sara Bervoets grew up in an artistic family, she is the daughter of renowned Belgian painter Fred Bervoets and her mother is a sculptor, a legacy that has both shaped and complicated her artistic path and has matured into one of professional mutual respect. While comparisons are inevitable, her work does not seek to echo or reject her father’s. It stands on its own terms — more introspective, emotionally raw, and distinctly of her generation.

Fred and Sara Bervoets discussing her work at Larry's Gallery, Kortrijk

With exhibitions in Antwerp and Kortrijk scheduled for 2026, Bervoets is attracting growing attention from curators and collectors alike. She belongs to a strong generation of contemporary Belgian artists redefining figurative and expressive painting.

ArtDependence (AD): You grew up in an artistic family. When did you realize you wanted to paint and, more importantly, when did you realize you had it in you?

Sara Bervoets (SB): Initially, I painted out of necessity, as art was the primary language I shared with my father. He would draw on one side of a page, and I would respond on the other, and vice versa. Later on, I realized that I could express my emotions best on paper and canvas; that has never changed.

Sara Bervoets, Untitled 2026, Soft Pastel on Paper

AD: Sara, your works are not thematic but autobiographical. Can you tell us why working autobiographically is so important to you?

SB: It is a necessity, at least for me, to express my reality in my work. I draw almost daily; each drawing is an expression of my current emotions and situation. The drawings are rougher than my paintings. My paintings are mostly a "wish image" that I create as a hopeful expression. 

AD: Do you feel part of a generation of Belgian artists, or is your practice more solitary?

SB: No, I don’t feel part of a specific generation of Belgian artists. I am more inspired by reading biographies of artists like Alice Neel and Basquiat, among others.

AD: What is a common misconception about your work that you would like to clear up?

I’m happy for people to interpret the work as they wish. Once it’s finished, I let it go; it’s no longer mine to define.

Sara Bervoets, Untitled, 2024, Acrylic on Canvas

AD: With exhibitions in Antwerp and Kortrijk in 2026, you are receiving growing attention. Does this recognition change your work?

SB: No, it doesn't change my work. However, speaking with people who look at or buy my art often gives me a fresh perspective on what I’ve created.

Exhibition Dates :

Common Ground till March 15, Larry's Gallery Koning Leopold I Laan 26 Kortrijk

March 6 - March 30, Sint Jorispoort 28 Antwerp

Main Image: Sara Bervoets, Untitled, 2024 Acrylic on Canvas