Belgian artist Lode Coen, born in Antwerp in 1952, studied graphic design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and later earned an MFA at the National Institute of Fine Arts. He began his career in 1976, designing posters for theatre and television, before moving to Silicon Valley, where he served as Art & Design Director at Digital Pictures for ten years. There, he became an expert in CGI, special effects, 3D, and UI design, contributing to video games and interactive films.
Returning to Belgium, Coen founded his own company, creating digital designs for high-profile clients, including Sun Microsystems, AMD, Intel, Pfizer, Oracle, Yahoo, and PayPal. Alongside his professional endeavors, he taught at art academies across Europe and the United States for forty years, eventually serving as Head of Department at Sint Lucas Antwerp. He has also lectured in China at various art universities, sharing his expertise in digital art and design.
Since retiring in 2017, Coen has returned to his passion for visual art, leveraging advanced digital tools to create works that combine surrealism, beauty, and intrigue. In 2023, he received the Leonardo da Vinci Award in Milan and the Lorenzo il Magnifico First Prize at the Florence Biennale, which led to an exhibition at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence.
In 2024, Coen held an exhibition on his series The 7 Sins at Galerie Espace Vision'Art in Paris, with additional showcases at Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, Rome, and the MEAM Biennial of Art in Barcelona. Looking forward to 2025, he will present The 7 Sins at Saint Andrews Church in Antwerp, accompanied by a feature in SNX, an annual book on economy and culture. Additional exhibitions are planned for Madrid, Rome, Beijing, and Dubai.
