Coloma Swaan

Coloma Francesca Hubertina Swaan (Weelde, 21 juni 1916 - Edegem, 12 December 2007) was a Belgian naturalist painter of landscapes and still lifes.
Life
Coloma Swaan was born in the village of Weelde in the Campine region, near the Dutch border, as the daughter of botanist Laurent J.H.L. Swaan (1984-1973) and Johanna de Bie (1889-1982). Her father owned the "Tree Nursery The Campine" and was the superintendent for Baron de Jamblinne de Meux. Her mother was a daughter of a tree nursery family from Zundert.
Once she had become skillful with oil paint and brush, she succeeded at a very young age in reproducing this environment on canvas.
She spent the last 30 years of her life in her native village of Weelde. She died in 2007 at the age of 91 in Edegem (Antwerp).
Education
She received primary education at the Municipal Primary School of Sint-Jan in Weelde.
In 1932 her parents invited the Bruges art painter René Thys (1899-1978) to stay in their house in Weelde for six months. During this period he taught Coloma the basic principles of painting. Her unwavering curiosity to master the finesse of painting art pushed her to enrol in the Municipal Academy of Fine Arts in Sint-Niklaas at a later age.
From 1980 to 2007 she was a member of the Nicolaus Poppelius local history and heritage association and from 1989 to 2007 she was the only woman member of the Royal Mechlin Sint-Lucas guild.
Style & Inspiration
Her art is simple in its conception and well measured. As a native Campine, most of her works are emotionally charged and in each of them a memory is embodied. A special aspect in her work are flowers, full of relief and warmth, sober and varied. A particularly uniform colouring is found in her farmhouses, always painted from nature. She managed also to capture the Willebroek Channel with its gray, dark winter sky in a fascinating way on her canvas.
Her art is simple in its conception and well measured. As a native Campine, most of her works are emotionally charged and in each of them a memory is embodied. A special aspect in her work are flowers, full of relief and warmth, sober and varied. A particularly uniform colouring is found in her farmhouses, always painted from nature. She managed also to capture the Willebroek Channel with its gray, dark winter sky in a fascinating way on her canvas.
Exhibitions
In 1971 she gave her first exhibition at the Galeria Hacienda in Keerbergen.
In 1975 the intercommunal company Intercom in Willebroek invited her for their 8th cultural event as a female exhibitor in the context of the International Women's Year.
An overview of her solo exhibitions:
* 1971 : Keerbergen - Gallery Hacienda
* 1973 : Willebroek - Gallery "De Schouwpijp"
* 1975 : Willebroek - Intercom in the context of the International Women's Year
* 1976 : Weelde - De Groes
* 1996 : Weelde - De Brewery
An overview of her group exhibitions:
* 1942 : Turnhout - Kursaal on the ocassion of the Jacob Smits commemoration
* 1966 : Willebroek - Art circle "The brigde"
* 1971 : Willebroek - Town hall
* 1971 : Rotselaar - Monfortan seminar
* 1972 : Puurs - Art circle "'The square"
* 1975 : Weelde - Art circle "Luxuria"
* 1977 : Willebroek - 14 years "Schouwpijp"
* 1983 : Turnhout - The Warande
* 1989 : Mechelen - Royal Saint Lucas Guild
* 1990 : Poppel - Culture festival
* 1990 : Mechelen - Royal Saint Lucas Guild
* 1991 : Mechelen - Royal Saint Lucas Guild
*1992 : Phillipine (The Netherlands) - Church of Philipinne
* 1993 : Mechelen - Royal Saint Lucas Guild
* 1994 : Mechelen - Royal Saint Lucas Guild
* 1995 : Mechelen - Royal Saint Lucas Guild
See Also
List of Belgian painters

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