Herman Blondeel was born in 1956. Although he trained at the Stedelijk Secundair Kunstinstituut and Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten in Gent, and polished his skills at the Stedelijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten in Deinze, Blondeel truly learned his craft at home. His father, Armand Blondeel, was an esteemed glassworker who taught his son his art from a very young age. Throughout his unfortunately short career, Blondeel continuously pushed the boundaries of his ‘decorative’ craft.
According to a number of biographies, Blondeel was a fully accomplished artisan by the age of 16. This father and son partnership matured into an apprenticeship that would eventually end in 1984, when Herman set up his own independent workshop (next to that of his father). With freedom came curiosity and subsequent exploration and Blondeel’s style continued to evolve.
Between 1982 and 1986, the artist mainly produced exhibition windows with which he toured in numerous shows. Even at that early stage, he was questioning the limitations of the craft. These interrogations came through in his scenography, as Blondeel experimented with pedestals and display cases, which isolated the window, ridding it of its functionality.
By bringing an interdisciplinary dimension to his work, Blondeel reached outside of his field and into that of contemporary art. The addition of neon lighting, from 1985 onwards, would only cement his new trajectory and status.
