Maïlys Van de Put, Brussels 1983 - Artist BIO
She won the preliminaries of "Kunstbende" National Art Competition for young artists under the age of 18 in Leuven (2000) for the originality of her work "Icarus Triptiek (2000)" and her technicals skills on the iron welded pedestal.
Moved to Antwerp for her studies at the Academy and work in the Artist studio of the sculptor Philippe Aguirre Y Otegui (2001)
Started Working at Mimicry Studio's with the sculptor Luc Cauwenberghs in Tervuren (2001-2022)
Master Degree in Fine Arts - Sculpture - Academy Of Fine Arts Antwerp, Belgium (2005)
Worked with Galleries in Antwerp & Kontich (2005-2007)
Portrait Of Melody (2005) an 4,5m high sculpture in steel and wood, captures the fleeting moment when music profoundly touches the human soul and is functioning as an abstract portrait of an emotion
Arachne (2003), an image from a dream you can’t remember. Arachne is also a Greek mythological figure who stands for jealousy towards talent and, indirectly, for female talent and feminism. Here she is represented by the artist as a mummified female mutant, half woman and half spider. The artist used techniques of hyperrealistic sculpture.
Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts - Graphic Arts - Academy Of Fine Arts Antwerp (2007)
Studied Aggregation for teacher in Fine Arts - Academy Of Fine Arts Antwerp (2004-2008)
Drew the cover and the booklet of the CD "a Potion" by the Belgian Artist Sioen (2007)
Moved to Essen, were she finished four wall portraits for café Moeskop inaugurated in 2009 on Dageraadplaats 17, 2018 Antwerp (2009-today)
Moved to Brussels (2009)
She gives creative workshops to children in Hoeilaart (2010)
She's a residential artist at Zinnema, Brussels during the festival Digital Democracy (2012)
She exhibited her own series of paintings on sheepskin and created the scenography for a concert by Safar République, accompanied by an improvized dance performance, at Zinnema, Brussels (2012).
Maïlys work is inspired by her daily life and translated into shapes, figures, symbols and myths
She lives and works in Hoeilaart (2024-Today)
Maïlys Van de Put (Etterbeek, 1983) is a Belgian visual artist with a typical multifaceted and layered artistic career path, in which different disciplines, environments, and life experiences continuously nourish and strengthen one another.
She comes from a family with an artistic sensitivity: her father was an architect with Antwerp origins, and her mother was an interior decorator from Brussels. Her artistic identity developed at a very young age and it became visible early on. As a child (around the age of 9), she was given independent creative assignments at school, such as designing the logo for the school’s Green Garden newspaper and painting independently on the large stage set for the annual summer festival at the age of 10.
At thirteen, she began working on her own comic book series — a project she intended to further develop through formal studies. At fifteen, she started her education at Sint-Lukas Art School in Brussels, with an initial ambition of becoming a comic book artist.
From the age of sixteen, she began experimenting by showing her work at small-scale exhibitions and participated in competitions for young talent. She won the preliminaries for best young artist for the province of Flemish Brabant. This event placed her on the path toward a career as a fine art artist. Encouraged by her teacher, sculptor Philip Aguirre y Otegui, she changed her career plans to become a fine art sculptor and she moved to Antwerp to attend the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.
She worked as a sculptor intern in Aguirre’s studio in Antwerp Berchem and started in Mimicry Studio in Tervuren, alongside the sculptor Luc Cauwenberghs, who is famous for his large-scale sculptures like 'Searching for Utopia' a conceptual work of the Belgian artist Jan Fabre and created by the hand of the sculptor Luc Cauwenberghs. She worked as an sculptor at Studio Mimicry from 2001 until 2022.
In 2005 she obtained a Master’s degree in Sculpture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Printmaking in 2007, complemented by a pedagogical teaching qualification 2004-2007.
Around the time of graduating as a sculptor, she attracted the attention of several galleries and began collaborating with them. However, she also lost her father during that same period — a major emotional blow that deeply affected her career. She stopped creating entirely for two years, taking time for mourning and reflection. This was the beginning of the influence of Buddhist philosophy in her work.
She received new commissions; she designed and illustrated the cover for the album 'A Potion' (2007) by the Belgian musician Sioen and this inspired Joost Wynants, the director of the video clip of the song 'I need a Drug' (2007).
In 2008 she created 'De Moeskopkes', four sculpted portraits of eccentric customers (“Moeskoppers”) for Café Moeskop installed on the exterior façade overlooking Dageraadplaats 17, Antwerp (inaugurated in 2009).
At that time, she fulfilled one of her greatest personal dreams: living in an autonomous eco-community. She moved to Essen, where she lived with friends in a private forest setting, surrounded by nature and silence, allowing her to continue developing her sculptural practice in a more peaceful evironment.
Here she also began playing the West African harp, a practice she later integrated into live performances during exhibition openings.
In 2009, she returned to Brussels and moved in with her godmother, Anne Weis, whose work with 100% natural materials and pigments had a strong influence on her. This shaped Maïlys’ own sensitivity toward eco-conscious material, craftsmanship, authenticity and love for nature even more.
In 2011 she traveled to the Canary Islands and worked on the Island of La Gomera as a resident artist, contributing to artistic projects like mural fresco painting. In 2016 she had a second opportunity for a artist residency on the Island of Tenerife.
In 2016, she began a training as a dental technician (2016–2020), where she further refined her aesthetic precision and technical mastery through another discipline rooted in form, detail, and craftsmanship.
Throughout the years, Maïlys has developed a practice in which creativity, study, and introspection remain central. She continuously deepens her knowledge and expertise of materials & techniques, concepts & themes of daily actuality. She has a heart for activism and explores our lost link to nature and the wildlife, which she translates into a very personal and poetic interpretation through a work of art.
2005-2007
Bachelor Graphic Art - degree in fine Arts: Graphics @ Royal Academy Of Fine Arts Antwerp
2004-2007
Aggregation drawing & sculpture @ Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp
2001-2005
Master Sculpture - degree in Fine Arts: Sculpture @ Royal Academy Of Fine Arts Antwerp
1998-2001
Fine Arts @ Sint-Lukas art school, Schaarbeek, Brussels
Collaborations
Wall sculptures for 'café Moeskop' located at - Dageraadplaats 17 - 2018 Antwerp (B)
'Culture Prize' @ C.C. Den Blank Overijse, design of the trophy rewarded
Special effects prothese: half mask of a Faun creature for the fireshow spectacle performed by the collective "Oersprong"
Arm Accessory. Style: steam punk to the arm for performance artist RI6 (Tea Time Show)
Working @ artists workshops: Philip Aguirre Y Otegui Sculptor and Mimicry factory Tervuren
Illustration 'Anatheana,The Reign Of Myth' a book on Cult Mythology written by Friedrich Millen
Drawing artwork on the cover and booklet for the CD ' A potion' from artist SIOEN
Press
2012
Het Nieuwsblad': Culture Prize Trophy made for the winner.
2006
Gynaica magazine, interview
2000
Article & interview 'Het Nieuwsblad': 'Maïlys wil striptekenares worden'
Awards
2000
- Kunstbende preliminaries (art contest for young artists <18j), Leuven
> 1st price, category of Fine Art in Flemish Brabant (B)
Finalist in Fine Art, 'Kunstbende' @ Vooruit, Ghent
Solo Exhibitions
2026 - Atelier in Beeld open studio days @artist workshop in Hoeilaart (B)
2019 - Digital democratie @ Zinnema, Brussels (B)
2018 - Open studio @ parcours d'artistes Chand d'oiseau, Brussels (B)
2016 - Open studio @ parcours d'artistes Chand d'oiseau, Brussels (B)
2015 - Parcours d'artistes Jette, Brussels (B)
2012 - solo exhibition/Artistic decoration for the musical project muzzine, @ Zinnema, Brussels (B)
2011 - KK World Festival; solo exhibition @ Kultuur Kafe, Brussels (B)
Duo Exhibition
2021 - Maïlys Van de Put & Jan Vankeerberghen @ Art Valley, Sint-Pieters Kapelle (B)
Group Exhibitions
2026 - Groupexhibition @collective Insolite during the Parcours d'artistes of Saint-Gilles, Brussels (B)
2025 - Groepexhibition Kunst In Overijse @C.C. Den Blank, Overijse (B)
2022, - Groupexhibition @collective Insolite during the Parcours d'artistes of Saint-Gilles, Brussels (B)
2020 - Groupexhibition Outdoor Sculptures @ Art Valley, Sint-PietersKapelle (B)
2018 - 'Arnouvoo' fine art contest, Staf Versluys Centrum, Bredene (B)
2016 - Parcours d'artistes Jette, Chapelle Horta, Brussels (B)
2015 - Kunstansichten, @ Chritsine Wagner Gallery, Offenbach, (GER)
2014 - Art Flash weekend @ Christine Wagner Gallery, Brussels (B)
2012 - “Kunst in Overijse” artists from the municipality of Overijse. C.C. The Blank, (B)
2010 - 'Image d'Elles"; L'Escale - Esneux (B)
2008 "Kunst In Overijse" artists from the municipality of Overijse, (B)
2005 'In Between' Gallery Gynaica, Antwerp (B)
'Annother Art Experience', Annother Art Gallery, Antwerp (B)
group exhibition with young artists from Antwerp, Solvainstraat, Antwerp (B)
2004 'Parcours d’artistes' de Rixensart (B)
2002 Heritage days, Theme: metal, group exhibition, Solheide, Overijse (B)
2000 “Kunst in Overijse” artists from the municipality of Overijse. C.C. The Blank, (B)
About the artist
She comes from a family with an artistic sensitivity: her father was an architect with Antwerp origins, and her mother was an interior decorator from Brussels. Her artistic curiosity developed at a very young age and it became visible early on.
Supported by her environment at the age of fifteen, she started her education at Sint-Lukas Art School in Brussels.
Around the time of graduating as a sculptor, she attracted the attention of several galleries and began collaborating with them. However, she also lost her father during that same period — a major emotional blow that deeply affected her career. She stopped creating entirely for two years, taking time for mourning and reflection. This was the beginning of the influence of Buddhist philosophy in her work.
She fulfilled one of her greatest personal dreams: living in an autonomous eco-community. She moved to Essen, where she lived with friends in a private forest setting, surrounded by nature and silence, allowing her to continue developing her sculptural practice in a more peaceful environment.
Here she also began playing the West African harp, a practice she later integrated into live performances during exhibition openings.
In 2008 she created 'De Moeskopkes', four sculpted portraits of eccentric customers (“Moeskoppers”) for Café Moeskop installed on the exterior façade overlooking Dageraadplaats 17, Antwerp (inaugurated in 2009).
Later in 2009, she returned to Brussels and moved in with her godmother, Anne Weis, whose work with 100% natural materials and pigments had a strong influence on her. This shaped Maïlys’ own sensitivity toward eco-conscious material, craftsmanship, authenticity and love for nature even more.
In 2011 she traveled to the Canary Islands and worked on the Island of La Gomera as a resident artist, contributing to artistic projects like mural fresco painting. In 2016 she had a second opportunity for a artist residency on the Island of Tenerife.
In 2016, she began a training as a dental technician (2016–2020), where she further refined her aesthetic precision and technical mastery through another discipline rooted in form, detail, and craftsmanship.
Throughout the years, Maïlys has developed a practice in which creativity, study, and introspection remain central. She continuously deepens her knowledge and knowledge of materials & techniques, concepts & themes of daily actuality. She has a heart for activism and explores our lost link to nature and the wildlife, which she translates into a very personal and poetic interpretation through a work of art.
