Natalie Pleis, born in Ghent in 1968, is a celebrated artist known for her evocative abstract works that bridge the landscapes of Belgium and France. Her artistic journey began in Paris, where she studied art history before delving into the meticulous craft of furniture restoration, specializing in marquetry. This evolved into an expertise in patinas, a practice that nurtured her fascination with texture and the passage of time, ultimately leading her to her signature medium: painting on wood.

Inspired by the natural world, Pleis integrates materials such as stone, marble, earth, and water into her creations, crafting works that are both tactile and ethereal. Using only natural and metallic pigments, applied exclusively with a palette knife, her process imbues her pieces with a distinct sense of mystery and illusion. Her paintings evoke the elemental beauty of nature—waves, fiery skies, and the quiet stillness of dawn—while remaining firmly rooted in abstraction.

Pleis’s acclaimed collections reflect the evolution of her themes and techniques. Depths of the Earth celebrates raw, primal textures, capturing the rugged essence of nature. Caelum, a departure into the celestial, explores the serenity of skies and horizons through dark, metallic hues and a soft, contemplative palette. Her latest collection, Kintsura, draws on the Japanese art of Kintsugi, transforming imperfections into striking focal points with golden accents, symbolizing resilience and renewal.

Her work has been showcased in prominent galleries across Ghent, Nieuwpoort, Lille, and London, and she has participated in prestigious art fairs and notable collaborations that highlight her innovative approach to materials and form. Natalie Pleis’s creations are a harmonious fusion of nature and abstraction, offering a profound, textured reflection on the beauty of imperfection and the enduring connection between humanity and the natural world.