Bart Smeets aka Smates (born 1978) is a Belgian artist based in Mechelen.
Smeets first passion was drawing, his first dream: to become a cartoonist. Fascinated by how a seemingly random mix of dots, lines and color can generate life, he was determined to solve the mystery (or techniques) lying underneath ... Dreams evolve but his imagination and curiosity remained and brought him to where he stands today: a world-renowned street artist, moving in between ‘the big wall’ and the world of oil on canvas.
Smeets attended Sint-Lukas Brussels High School to study art. During these years - followed by a Master graphic design - he got familiar with the world of graffiti: the visual language, the people, the scene around it. This introduction would prove to be very important in a later stage but didn’t do the trick yet for a young person still needing to find his personal imagery. He specialized in graphic design for 10+ years but decided there and then that he wanted to learn how to paint: no longer applied, but the real ‘classical’ deal, to be able to create all the worlds he dreamt off.
Smeets first time holding a paint brush again runs parallel with the start of a second and professional approach of working with spray paint. With his profound understanding of color, light and shadow he was now able to bring walls to life. Inspired by more established street artists, he initially preferred photorealism and portraits, the subject being subordinate to the technique. This eventually evolved into a personal style, shifting to dream-like and narrative settings where sensation prevails.
Usually set in a public space a mural requires a specific way of designing, considering the surrounding and its inhabitants: a positive, but sometimes limiting act. As such, after developing his career as a street artist, Bart decided to devote time to working with oil on canvas.
In this more private universe, subject, material and support can interact freely. The thorough image research and the focus on details are replaced by snapshots of life. Less details enhance the mystery and invite the spectator to look inside and create their own story. Barts works evolve around the impact of light on daily scenes as his main focus.
Barts work can be found in different cities in Belgium and on walls across the globe from (amongst others) China, Canada, South Africa and the USA to Norway, Sweden, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Group exhibition
2024
MIX 2024, KIRK Gallery, Aalborg, Denmark
Selection of murals
2023
Art commission for Ir Arch / Zeebrugge - Belgium
Art project for Kaufman Development / Columbus (Ohio) - USA
2022
Art project for Wallstreet Stockholm / Stockholm - Sweden
Art project for the municipality of Herent / Herent - Belgium
2021
Art project for Amsterdam Street Art / IJmuiden - The Netherlands
Art commission for Letsplay360 / Anderlecht - Belgium
Art commission for for the municipality of Boom / Boom – Belgium
Art commission for the municipality of Arcugnano / Arcugnano - Italy
Art project for Silo Art Tour Achterhoek / Doetinchem - The Netherlands
2020
Art commission for Sint-Jan Hospital / Brussels - Belgium
Art project for Street Art Festival Hasselt / Hasselt - Belgium
2019
Art project for Sint Dimpna Hospital / Geel - Belgium
Art project for the Nyköping / Nyköping - Sweden
Art project for municipality of Asse / Asse - Belgium
2018
Art commission for the municipality of Arcugnano/ Arcugnano - Italy
Art commission for Baz-art / Capetown - South Africa
2017
Art project for SWG3 Yardworks Festival / Glasgow - Scotland
Art project for Nippon Paint / Shanghai - China
Art project for Make It Happen / Rotterdam - The Netherlands
Art project for North West Walls (Rock Werchter Festival) / Werchter - Belgium
Art project for Street Art Festival Cambridge / Cambridge (Ontario) - Canada
Art project for Art For All In The World / Sandefjord - Norway
Art commission for The Crystal Ship / Aalter - Belgium
Art project for the municipality of Halle / Halle – Belgium
2016
Art commission for Technopolis / Mechelen - Belgium
Art commission for UZ Brussels / Brussels - Belgium
2015
Art project for Expo Milano / Milan - Italy
2014
Art project for Day One Festival / Roeselare - Belgium