Eleni Debo

Eleni Debo Vdb Print 40 X50 Opl25
Eleni Debo Vdb Print 2
Eleni Debo Vdb Stijn Vanderhaeghe

Demarrage

To commemorate the passing of the (in)famous Belgian cyclist Frank Vandenbroucke ten years ago, I was asked to create an artwork inspired by his life.

I was immediately inspired by the magnificent images of his incredible victory of the fifth etappe of Paris-Nice in 1998 — that took place on a particularly cold and snowy day — showing nothing but his colorful Mapei jersey on that foggy white-out background. I thought these images were symbolic for the life of Frank as the fighter, slogging his way up the snowy hill. But I also felt like they had something ominous and melancholic, hinting at his unfortunate demise.

Given that the artwork was meant as a way to look back on his life, I depicted the scene from another angle, showing Frank this time from his back, riding away from us and into the big white.

The illustration has been used in VDB forever , a book by Stijn Vanderhaeghe and in the exhibition with the same name, currently held in Koers cycling museum in Roeselare.

The illustration is also for sale as a limited edition giclée art print.

Original photograph published in VDB - a biography by Stijn Vanderhaeghe