Home - Kunsthartgalerij

About

Jean-Pierre Breels, founder of communication agency Pubmarket!, taken over three years ago and continued by daughter Dorien, did not start painting until 2022.
This resulted in the opening of his own art gallery at Maastrichterstraat 62 in Hasselt.

Father and daughter are now taking another step together by opening a second gallery, ‘kunstHart’, on the ground floor of Pubmarket!, Lindekensveldstraat 7 in Kermt.
Unlike the gallery in the heart of Hasselt, which exclusively features work by Jean-Pierre Breels himself, this gallery will also exhibit works by several artists of ‘colour’.

Under the motto ‘Colour your life’, this art gallery is an inspiration for an extra boost of positivity and is more than worth a visit.
Open Monday to Thursday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Weekends by appointment: +32 (0)476 59 07 94

Artists

Patrick Leenaers (PTRIK)

Born in Tongeren in 1968, Ptrik has been creatively making small, funny, and eye-catching things since childhood. In his teens, he attended art school in Hasselt and Tongeren, but the school enforced too many rules, and Ptrik quit art only to start again in his forties. The little ‘things’ from that period began to take on definitive shape, becoming his ‘signature piece of art’: seated men, called ‘mennekes’ in his regional dialect, which range from just a few centimetres tall to over one metre. In his artworks, he uses old materials from demolished buildings as well as natural wood, stone, and metal… always with his ‘mennekes’ in the leading role. Ptrik paints on different materials using various techniques, sometimes using multiple colours, sometimes just brown and white.

Sven
Reubens

Sven is a 39-year-old self-taught artist from Hasselt. He started drawing at the age of 13, doodling during class to calm himself. Over the years, inspired by the Cobra art movement, Cubism, Pop Art, Art Brut, Tribal Art, and Outsider Art, his work evolved into surreal collage art. Sven works both from his studio in Hasselt and from Guatemala (Central America), where he spends half the year with his partner and child. This different culture and way of life also inspired him to express his creativity. Colour is also absolutely versatile in his unpretentious artworks.

Frank
Jordens

Born in Hasselt in 1965, Frank studied graphic design at the Provincial Higher Institute for Art Education in Hasselt. Professionally, he is an innovation coach, creativity expert, and brainstorming facilitator. He creates his artworks using Artificial Intelligence (AI), Photoshop, acrylic, and epoxy on canvas. Using innovative techniques, he creates unique compositions combining digital prints with traditional painting. His artworks, infused with subliminal inspirations and quotes, spark the imagination and motivation, inspiring out-of-the-box thinking.

Christian
Burnham

Born in 1973 in Eastbourne, England, Christian has lived in Hasselt for decades now. Sports fans will remember him as a former 500 CC GP motocross rider. He struggled with a heavy alcohol addiction after his sports career ended. But he’s been clean for 10 years now and has found a new passion as a visual artist. Christian discovered stencil graffiti as an art form. Afterwards, his work evolved into more colour, mixed media, and using materials such as wood, glass, and steel plates. He draws his inspiration from his own experiences. Themes such as motocross, his inner transformation, and booze recur regularly. Christian’s artworks have since found their way into private collections worldwide.

Joke Neyrinck
(JOOK DOODLE)

Born in 1982 in Ostend, Joke is known as Jook Doodle and the wife of Augustijn Vermandere. She gained international fame in 2017, doodling on every free centimetre of her entire house and attracting worldwide attention. In 2023, she was also a jury member for Belgium in the international Red Bull Doodle Art Competition and appeared on the TV programme Iedereen Beroemd (VRT). Jook has also worked with major brands such as Red Bull, Baloise Insurance, Cartoon Network, Allianz, Toon de Somer, and Watf. She creates ‘droedels’ on canvas: spontaneous, loose drawings with no fixed purpose, where she thoughtlessly draws lines, making funny, abstract, and surreal scenes. However, these little figures, which sometimes look like little monsters, exude a sense of cuteness and loveliness. Her vibrant and colourful creations are a visual treat that unmistakeably transports viewers into her cheerful, imaginative world.

Steven
Thoelen

Born in Tongeren in 1978, Steven is an artistic and eccentric photographer who describes himself as a ‘storyteller’. His internationally award-winning art photography reminds us that life is an adventure, full of opportunities for self-expression and personal growth.
His signature photography reflects his ability to capture and convey emotions, stories, and the complexity of human experiences. Steven creates images that resemble scenes from film stills and walk the line between fantasy and reality.

Jean-Pierre
Breels

Jean-Pierre, born in 1959, only started painting at the age of 62 after a successful career in the communications industry. He received his master’s degree in visual arts, specialising in graphic design, from the Provincial Higher Institute for Art Education in Hasselt. His paintings are catalogued under ‘geometric pop art’, with black outlines and bright colours with the same figure in the leading role each time. What is unique about his work is that the paintings, acrylic on canvas, depict a well-known pop song, and in addition to viewing the work, you can also hear the music being played by scanning the accompanying QR code. It was an immersive experience, as it were: hearing and seeing art simultaneously. Jean-Pierre works alternately from both Spain, his second home, and from his own art gallery in the Maastrichterstraat in Hasselt.