JOHAN VAN MULLEM was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1959 to Flemish parents, and spent much of his childhood following his diplomat father from country to country. He is a painter and sculptor known mainly for his powerful depiction of the human figure through luminous brushstrokes . He claims inspiration only from personal encounters with people on an everyday basis rather than aspiring to be like or to be inspired by any well-known artists, even though some merely aesthetic similarities with bacon, Goya and the Flemish school are perceptible. Van Mullem’s work can be found in public and private collections internationally, including collections in Brussels, London, New York, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Los Angeles and at the Musee d’Ixelles in Belgium.