Biography
Gast Michels (1954-2013) was a celebrated Luxembourgish artist known for his expressive and dynamic neo-expressionist paintings. Most of his works are characterised by bold black lines, creating abstract figures of humans and animals, as well as archaic signs and graffiti-style letters. These shapes are layered on colourful fields or monochromatic backgrounds that spatially structure the surface of the work.
Michels' artistic legacy has been celebrated with a posthumous retrospective exhibition at the National Museum of Art and History of Luxembourg (MNAHA) and the Cercle Cité, Luxembourg, in 2022-23. The artist's sons, David and Frank Michels, have created the Gast Michels estate, which aims to keep their father's work alive and accessible to the public.
Education
1974-1980: École supérieure des arts Saint-Luc at Léck
1983: Openthalt at the Cité des Arts in Paris
1983: 1er Prix de la Peinture, Biennale des Jeunes, Esch-Uelzecht
1987: Prix de Raville, Lëtzebuerg
1996: 1st Prix Concours Siemens, Lëtzebuerg
2008: Open visit at the Cité des Arts in Paris
Group shows
Gallery Tetra, Wawre an der Belsch, 1983
Gallery de Luxembourg, Lëtzebuerg (Stad), 1988
Gallery Friedrich, Cologne, 1990
Gallery Flesser, Helsingborg a Sweden 1992
Gallery de Sao Bento, Lisbon, 1993
Iron drawings - Steel drawings: Mercedes-Benz S.A. Luxembourg (Mäerz - Abrëll 2000), Lëtzebuerg (Stad)
1980-2000 Vingt ans d'aventure picturale: Theatre-Gallery Esch-Uelzecht, December 2000
SIGNES - de ma région [une époque de créations]: Espace Mett Goedert at Konsdref, Mee to June 2002.
Lëtzebuerger Ambassade to Nei-Delhi 2008
Espace Mett Goedert, Konsdref, 2011
Guest Michels (1954-2013): Movement in colour, form and symbols, from 07.10.2022 to 26.03.2023 at the National Museum of History and History (MNHA), and from 07.10.2022 to 22.01.2023 at the Cercle Cité, Lëtzebuerg (Stad).
Solo shows
Guest Michels, Galerie de Luxembourg, 1991
Gast Michels (1954-2013): Movement in colour, form and symbols, Musée national d'histoire et d'art & Cercle Cité, 2022, ISBN 978-2-87985-773-2.
Films
Gast Michels - Making of an exhibition, produced by BIFA Luxembourg (Maurice Molitor), 2007
Weider Filmer vum an iwwert de Gast Michels op Vimeo