Painters Bio

Erik Tanghe was born on the first of july
at 12 o’clock sharp exactly in the middle of the year...

the miracle catch of fish — 'Gouache drawing using icesticks when he was a kid. It shows 'The miraculous catch of fish' from the bible, an assignment for school'

creativity starts very early.
As a child his ability to observe details is very strong and at the age of six he already manages
to put 1000 pieces puzzles together in 1 or 2 hours!!

At the age of 11 he gets his first camera from his parents.
He discovers photography and later on film.
both worlds wil keep on fascinating him till today.
he finishes school for film and photography and he makes a living out of it.
Being a photographer-journalist he wonders the world, getting fascinated by tropical forests and jungles...
also mountains do get his attention and he climbs many.
Just like the woods they are a seperate reality on this world.
In nature he finds peace for his inner soul...

'Erik Tanghe in Lotschental, one of his favorite places in Switzerland'

Even if Erik tanghe alias ET already started making drawings and paintings during his childhood it was always a way to tell stories (cartoons) or a desperate try to depict and copy reality (pencil and gouache)
Only after lots of years of taking pictures and copying the real world, he starts looking for a way to show his inner world...
the things he can’t capture on film or pixel...
At first he starts from his own digital designs altering and copying them with airbrush, ink and acrylic paint...
In a slow process of letting go, he starts relying more and more on his own unfiltered imagination, translating it directly onto canvas.
the different way in which ‘ET’ sees things, the reason he always felt like an alien on this planet, has now become beauty...

'Erik Tanghe at work during the OKAR 2014 event'

''Birth of the Universe' left for drying.. Due to the thick layers of paint it can take up to two weeks to completely dry out'

'Erik Tanghe during a open air artfair in Antwerp'

It’s difficult to discribe the art of ‘ET’ in one style.
Based on the idea and the vision, different techniques are used.
Erik likes to use pieces of wood, glass and polyester.
However lately he also likes to express himself only in color and the shape of the paint, often using thick layers of it.

'Erik Tanghe working on 'wild roses' during the Okar 2017 event in Kalmthout. Picture by Sina Mohajerani'

'Erik Tanghe at work in his little studio in Kalmthout'

'Painting 'Birth of the Universe' carefully packed to be send to England'

as a proof of authenticy Erik Tanghe provides ‘most’ paintings with an ‘ET’ signature made from nails of his hands.
As a DNA certificate is delivered with every piece of art each buyer has an impossible to counterfeit proof
of having a unique piece of art made by the artist.

'Mixing the paint on the canvas allows to express even more instant emotions'

From the DNA search done on Erik Tanghe, we learn that there is only one chance
on 379.000.000 thousand million that there is another person like him.
There is no doubt that his pieces of art are unique!!