1958 – 1985

Juan Maria Bollé is born on 21 December 1958 in Vilvoorde a city near Brussels, Belgium.

In 1981 he becomes a student at The St. Lukas Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels. During his studies he first explores drawing and black and white printmaking, with an emphasis on the etching technique. Soon he focuses on the medium of oil painting.

1985 – 1989

Group exhibition in the St. Lukas Art Gallery of Brussels.

One-man exhibition (graphic works), in the Cultural Centre of Strombeek Bever.

'Contest of young Belgian Graphics Artists', gallery Campo, Antwerp.

'Contest of Painting of Boechout', where for the first time oil paintings are exhibited.

1988

In 1988 Juan Maria Bollé becomes a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts of Liedekerke.

1990

‘14 WINDOWS', one-man exhibition, Gallery Vyncke- Van Eyck in Gent.

1991

Set design of the play 'Grass at the horizon', written by Elvis Peeters and produced by the Art Centre 'Vooruit' in Gent.

1992

'GARDENS OF EDEN', one-man exhibition in Gallery 'De Zwarte Maan' in Knokke-Zoute.

1992 – 1995

Bollé makes several travels through Central-America (Mexico, Guatemala en Belize) en Africa (Tanzania, Zanzibar, Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin).

During a period of artistic crises, the artist destroys most of his paintings. Bollé is searching for a new approach and chooses for a temporary artistic isolation. This results in a totally new style and a very personal approach.

1995

'14 STATIONS OF THE BODY OF C.' & ‘(nothing but) FLOWERS?’, individual exhibition Gallery 165 in Gent.
Those 14 paintings are strictly related in the tradition of Western religious art, as they represent '14 Stations of the way of the cross'. The letter 'C' stands for the first letter of the name of Catherine, the female model, as well as for Christ.

In the series '(nothing but) FLOWERS?' each painting of the series shows one flower, painted in black and white, while the surrounding colorfield refers to the specific color of the flower.

1996

'TESTIMONIES OF TREES' & 'BLESSED GESTURES', Gallery META-L-ART, Antwerp.

The series 'Testimonies of trees' shows diptychs of trees in a combined technique of oil painting, gold an oxidised copper on canvas.

The series 'Blessed gestures' shows suggestive gestures painted in black and white on a golden surface, surrounded by squared colorfields in three dimensions. They are related with the tradition of Byzantine icons.

Bollé travels through the U.S.A. and visits important art collections of the West coast.

1997

'WHISPERING SKIN', one-man exhibition in Cultural Centre 'The Old Vicarage' in Boortmeerbeek-Hever.

The paintings of the series 'Whispering skin' are build up by the confrontation of oil painted close-ups of a female face and a linoleum cutting of an anatomy study of the muscles of the human face.

Group exhibition 'The 80's of Caryatid' in the Cultural Centre 'The Market' in Brussels.

1998

'CROSSING BORDERS', a multi disciplinary project with American and Belgian composers, choreographs dancers and artists of the group 'Music under construction' and 'Art under construction' , Manhattan New York, April '98.

'FROZEN MOTIONS' are a series of paintings, where the used technique is a mixture of oil painting and gold on canvas. The pictures shows human figures, female nudes, in motion. The bodies are created of gold, which intensifies their immaterial character.

One-man exhibition in Gallery 'Room 7' in Antwerp as the 'Crossing borders' project makes a tour through several cultural centres in Belgium.

The Federal Government purchases 'Blessed gestures in red'.

1999

'IS THIS DESIRE?', one-man exhibition in Cultural Centre 'The Old Vicarage' in Boortmeerbeek-Hever. 'Desire' is the motive of the exhibition. Sometimes it is focused, but mostly desire is unspeakable and slumbering. For the first time Bollé uses silkscreen on canvas, in combination with oil painting.

Collection Senneberg (collection C&A Belgium) purchases 5 paintings.

In July, Juan Maria Bollé takes a sabbatical year and travels through Nepal en India for 4 months.

2000

During the millennium Bollé is working on a new series in the mountains of Sierra Tejada, in Andalucia, Spain.

'RITUALS', one-man exhibition in Gallery L. Hinnekens in Kortrijk. The theme of this new series is focused on the borderline of the erotic and spiritual desire. Rituals are indispensable for both and create a condition to surrender.

Bollé travels for 2 months through Marocco and the Isles of the Cyclades in Greece.

'MEMORIES', individual exhibition in Gallery Canvas in Mechelen. The exhibition is a reflection of 9 months travelling and in this new work Bollé is searching to express universal elements through different cultures.

2001

'STORIES FROM THE CLOUDS', one man show, Art Gallery Object in Aalst.

The paintings 'STORIES FROM THE CLOUDS' are related to the tradition of the European landscape painting but defined by the artist proper contemporary style. The new paintings evoke a contemplative and almost transcendent character.

2002

When the artist visits Venice he is deeply impressed by the city and starts working on ‘THE VENICE PAINTINGS’.

‘STORIES FROM THE CLOUDS & THE VENICE PAINTINGS’, one-man show Cultural Centre ‘The Old Vicarage’ in Boortmeerbeek-Hever.

Both series are each others complement, showing only clouds and water surfaces. Human beings are banned, while a more spiritual dimension and abstract approach takes over. The paintings evokes a striking inner rest and a universal contemplative character.

2003

‘5 + 5’, group exhibition in the Cathedral of Senlis, France.

‘STORIES FROM THE CLOUDS & THE VENICE PAINTINGS’, one- man show CEDUBO, Heusden-Zolder
‘THE GOLD OF THE GODS’, group exhibition Bank ‘Landbouwkrediet’, Brussels.

Bollé designs his new house and studio ‘Atelier B’, built in Hofstade (near Mechelen), and moves in in October.

2004

KBC Contemporary Art Collection purchases 13 paintings.

‘HELENA OF TROY’, one-man exhibition in Gallery Van Meenen, Harelbeke.

The serie ‘Helena of Troy’ is based on the poems of Homerus. In the paintings of Bollé the personage of Helena appears sometimes as a ‘femme fatale’, then as a strong character or more precarious and reticent.

‘HELENA OF TROY’, Art gallery ART DEPOT Rijmenan.

2005

‘LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE’, one- man show Gallery Mas, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

The serie ‘LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE’, is based on the fairy-tale of Jean Marie Leprince De Beaumont. The fairy tale can be read as a metaphor for the inner- and external beauty, the game of attraction and rejection and the immense power of human sexuality.

‘LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE’, one-man show, ’t Moment’, Cultural Centre of Meise.

2006

‘LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE’, duo exhibition, Atelier Vanmeenen’ Harelbeke’.

ART TENDENS 2006, group Exhibition Belfort Brugge.

K’06, Art Event, Atelier B, Zemst.

2007

ART PROJECT ALDI Belgium, limited edition of 2 paintings.

‘METAMORPHOSES’, duo exhibition, Gallery Art Depot Rijmenan. Edition of the catalogue ‘METAMORPHOSES’.

This new serie is based on the ‘Metamorphoses’ of Ovidius, the mythical adventures of Gods, half Gods and heroes and their dramatically battles and transformations.

‘FLASHBACK’, Art Festival, Sint-Lievens-Esse.

‘PAPILLON’, Art Event by ‘ART & ADVICE’, ancient prison of Hasselt.

2008

K’08, Art Event, Atelier B, Zemst.

’JIGSAW PUZZLE’, Art Gallery 'deWeverij', November - December 2008 Sleidinge

The exhibition ‘JIGSAW PUZZLE’  is a kaleidoscopic guided tour at events or persons who experienced a deep impression on Juan Maria Bollé. Starting with the World Exhibition Fair in Brussels ‘Expo 58’, Bollé’s birth year, the assassination on JFK, the first man walking on the moon in ‘69 or pop & rock icons where he has grown up with. Juan Maria Bollé has himself seduced by Scarlett Johansson in the film ‘The girl with the pearl earring’, based on the famous painting by Johannes Vermeer, or the ecstasy of a contemporary dancer in ‘Momentum'.

LINEART 2009, International ART FAIR,  Expohallen Gent

Selection Gallery Molensloot Antwerpen

' BETWEEN THE LINES '  & 'STORIES FROM THE SEA'

2010

UPCOMMING : GALLERY MOLENSLOOT , Molenstraat 52-54 , 2018 Antwerpen

From 10 September 2010 - 31 October 2010

' BETWEEN THE LINES '  & 'STORIES FROM THE SEA'