The man who styled the anonymous travellers waiting for the metro

He was born in Bruges on 25 May 1960 and passed away at the tender age of 63, but what do we know about Benoît van Innis?

Benoît stems from a line of nobility, as his grandfather Henri and his brother were made noble. His mother was not; she hailed from Namur. As a result, Benoît Thierry Marcel Marie Ghislain van Innis spoke both Dutch and French growing up.

Van Innis chose the artistic path from a young age and studied at St. Lucas, a well-known school in Ghent for all things art. He was to become a painter and completed his studies with the highest distinction under the watchful and approving eye of abstract painter Dan Van Severen.

Young Benoît started his professional life as a cartoonist for various popular newspapers and magazines, such as De Morgen, De Standaard, Humo, and Knack. He soon went international, penning contributions to magazines with the stature of The New Yorker and Paris Match.

His most famous work, though, has been immortalised in the Brussels metro, at the Maelbeek station in the European Quarter: somewhat abstract faces, characterised by his trademark minimalism. There are eight of them, staring not only at each other but also at the passengers, on azulejos, or Portuguese tiles.

You might have heard of Maelbeek in a less happy context. It was only fitting that van Innis would also make a memorial work of art in the station to the victims of the 2016 terror attacks.

Benoît van Innis left behind three daughters when he passed away from a long-lasting illness on 24 February 2024. One of them, Alice van Innis, followed in her father’s footsteps and became an artist as well. May she be as successful as her father!

Photo: Belgaimage