Biography of Maurice Haccuria

Born in Jeuk on 13-01-1919 and died in Leuven on 20-11-1991.
Maurice Haccuria was an autodidact. He was educated at the provincial normal school of Tienen. In 1945, after the liberation, he moved to Moscow, where he was painting in the early 1950s, teacher at the Academy. In 1962, he settled in Brussels. In the early 1970s he came back to Aarschot. In 1974 he left teaching, he gave sure to 1978 evening classes at the Academy of Aarschot and moved in 87 to Leuven. In his early days (around 1935), he made oil paintings with landscapes and still lifes. In 1937 there was a drawing of him at the world exhibition in Paris. In 1943, he took part in a first group exhibition "Art Jeune" in the Studio at Brussels and this with figurative landscapes. However, he found no satisfaction in the more purely figurative and after his move to Aarschot in 1945, he broke with the past. He came under the influence of Fauvism, Expressionism and Cubism from artists such as Jean brusselmans, Gustaaf De Smet ea. Maurice experimented and came to its own form of a constructive Cubism. From 1958 the lyrical abstraction appeared in his works: the image was no longer important, but showed the inner works of the artist, his emotions and desires, exploding the inner energy etc.

In the late 1950s he also made the first metal constructions and sculptures. He also made bronze sculptures, engravings, screen prints, stained glass, marble and blue stone sculptures, reliefs in Slate and huge wooden statues. He also provided the illustrations of some books with Lino's and engravings. In 1971 there appeared a kunstmap issued by "The handelaarsverbond" of Leuven with works by 10 artists including Haccuria In 1943, he took part in a first group exhibition at Brussels and 1946 found a first individual exhibition in Sint-Truiden. We mention at the last exhibitions in Paris, 1987 to 1990 Masereel Centre Kasterlee, 1991 Gallery Embryo in Leuven, 1995 retrospective in 1997 exhibition at the cultural center in Hasselt and C.C. "the hospital" in Aarschot. He was a member of the "Nouvelle Ecole Européenne", "L'Institut International des Arts et Lettres", and the "Belgian Council for plastic arts".

He received several awards in the contest "La Jeune Peinture Belge" in ' 57 and ' 58, mention in the "Talensprijs" in Brussels in ' 59, "Prix de l'art abstrait" in Lausanne in ' 61, Europaliaprijs entry for painting in Ostend in ' 62, prize of the Belgian art critics Charleroi in ' 62, Olivetti Prize for sculpture in ' 63 and ' 65 in Brussels, laureate of the "Hembecca" prize for graphic art in Brussels in ' 73 and medal at the international contest in Seoul (South Korea) in ' 85.