Jean Boghossian
°1949, Syria
Lives and works in Brussels, Belgium.
Jean Boghossian is a Belgian multidisciplinary artist of Lebanese-Armenian origin, renowned for his distinctive use of fire and smoke in abstract art. Born in Aleppo in 1949 into a family of jewelers, he initially worked in the family business while studying economics and sociology at Saint Joseph University in Beirut. The Lebanese civil war prompted his move to Belgium in 1975, where he fully embraced his artistic path.
This controlled use of burning became his signature, expressing a tension between destruction and renewal. Boghossian describes his process as a “fire dance,” a search for balance within chaos, placing his work in dialogue with artists such as Burri, Fontana, Pollock, Klein, and Kounellis. His commitment to the arts also led to the co-founding of the Boghossian Foundation at Villa Empain in Brussels in 1992, alongside his father and brother.
Working across diverse media —including canvas, paper, books, and plastics— he combines materials such as watercolor, charcoal, oil, pigments, and acrylic, along with techniques like folding and collage. His work has increasingly moved toward abstraction and extends into sculpture, using wood, marble, clay, and bronze, as well as more recent explorations in ceramics.
Internationally recognized, Boghossian has exhibited widely, including representing Armenia at the Venice Biennale in 2017. Recent exhibitions have taken place in Korea, Lebanon, Monaco, Italy, Belgium and Qatar.
Through his unique use of fire, he continues to explore contemporary themes, establishing himself as a significant figure in today’s art world.
Selected exhibitions:
Solo exhibitions:
2026, PYROS: FUOCO E MATERIA – Arionte Arte Contemporanea, Catania (IT)
2025, Céramiques – More Upstairs Gallery, Brussels (BE)
2025, Second Life: Precious Flame – Opera Gallery, Geneva (CH)
2025, Second Life: Precious Flame – GemGenève, Geneva (CH)
2024, Tides of Fire – Mark Hachem Gallery, Paris (FR)
2024, Wildfire – N Gallery, Seoul (KR)
2024, Smoke Signals – Nosbaum Reding Gallery, Luxembourg (LU)
2024, Flames – Anima Gallery, Doha (QA)
2023, Unveiling the Elemental – Mark Hachem Gallery, Paris (FR)
2023, Making Waves – Boon Gallery, Knokke-Heist (BE)
2023, Jean Boghossian – Opera Gallery, Monte-Carlo (MC)
2022, Antinomia Ardente – Galleria Il Ponte, Florence (IT)
2022, Jean Boghossian – Mazarine Variations, Paris (FR)
2021, Jean Boghossian at Wilford X – Wilford X, Temse (BE)
2021, Recent Works – Galerie Guy Ledune, Brussels (BE)
2020, Jean Boghossian at Wilford X – Wilford X, Temse (BE)
2019, About Nature & Colours – Gallery Tanit, Munich (DE)
2018, Fiamma Inestinguibile II – National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan (AM)
2018, Rythmes & Matières – Galerie Valérie Bach, Brussels (BE)
2018, Rhapsody in Red and Blue – Galerie Pièce Unique, Paris (FR)
2018, Jean Boghossian – Cardi Gallery, London (UK)
2018, Unpredictable Horizons – Ayyam Gallery, Dubai (AE)
2014, Secrète Architecture – Galerie Guy Ledune, Brussels (BE)
2012, À l’Épreuve du Feu – Galerie Guy Ledune, Brussels (BE)
2006–2010, Various Exhibitions – Galerie Guy Ledune, Belgium (BE)
Group exhibitions:
2026, BRAFA – Boon Gallery, Brussels (BE)
2025, The Holiday Art Collection – N Gallery x Hyundai DS Trade Center, Seoul (KR)
2025, Freedom Recalled – Beit Beirut, Beirut (LB)
2025, FIRE – Boghossian Foundation, Brussels (BE)
2025, OSTEN Biennale – Skopje (MK)
2025, Autumn 2025 – Alexia Werrie Gallery, Tervuren (BE)
2025, Testimonies of Fire – Dalloul Artist Collective, Beirut (LB)
2025, Light Across Layers – N Gallery, Seongnam (KR)
2025, Micro Cosmos – N Gallery, Seongnam (KR)
2025, The Book: Object between Memory & Symbol – Tornabuoni Art, Paris (FR)
2025, Connect: Art & Design – N Gallery, Seongnam (KR)
2025, N Gallery Collection – N Gallery, Seongnam (KR)
2025, Eclectica, A Collector’s Eye – Espace Constantin Chariot, Brussels (BE)
2025, Second Life: Precious Flame – GemGenève, Geneva (CH)
2025, Palea – Fondazione Sebastiano Tusa, Palermo (IT)
2025, Céramiques – More Upstairs Gallery, Brussels (BE)
2025, Second Life: Precious Flame – Opera Gallery, Geneva (CH)
2025, BRAFA – Boon Gallery, Brussels (BE)
2024–2025, The Language of Silence – Villers Abbey, Villers-la-Ville (BE)
2024–2025, Lost Four Seasons: 2050 – Art Museum Ryeo, Yeoju-si, Gyeonggi-do (KR)
2024, Amitié Perpétuelle – UNOG – United Nations Office at Geneva, Friendship Room, Geneva (CH)
2024, Abstract Writings, Abstract Thoughts – Wittockiana, Brussels (BE)
2024, JB – Union Bancaire Privée, Monte-Carlo (MC)
2024, Forever is Now – Art D’Égypte, Cairo (EG)
2024, Exhibition of Monumental Sculptures – Square Armand Steurs, Brussels (BE)
2024, LAW – Nosbaum Reding Gallery, Luxembourg (LU)
2024, KIAF – Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Seoul (KR)
2024, ART BUSAN-CONNECT – N Gallery, Seongnam (KR)
2024, TEFAF – Boghossian Jewels, Maastricht (NL)
2024, BRAFA – Boon Gallery, Brussels (BE)
2024, Alexia Werrie Gallery – Tervuren (BE)
2024, Tides of Fire – Mark Hachem Gallery, Paris (FR)
2024, Wildfire – N Gallery, Seoul (KR)
2024, Smoke Signals – Nosbaum Reding Gallery, Luxembourg (LU)
2024, Flames – Anima Gallery, Doha (QA)
2023–2024, Armenia, Contemplating the Sacred – Boghossian Foundation, Brussels (BE)
2023, The Language of Fire – Fondazione Sicilia & Fondazione Sebastiano Tusa, Villa Zito, Palermo (IT)
2023, The Sea is Green – SBM, Monte-Carlo (MC)
2023, Navigator – Yacht Club de Monaco, Monte-Carlo (MC)
2023, Forever is Now (If the Walls Could Talk, Citadel) – Art D’Égypte, Cairo (EG)
2023, Exhibition of Monumental Sculptures – Square Armand Steurs, Brussels (BE)
2023, Eruption – Anima Gallery, Doha (QA)
2023, ART BUSAN – N Gallery, Seongnam (KR)
2023, BRAFA – Boon Gallery, Brussels (BE)
2023, Sculptura Festival #1 – Sculptura Gallery, Brussels (BE)
2023, TEFAF – Boghossian Jewels, Maastricht (NL)
2023, LAW – Nosbaum Reding Gallery, Luxembourg (LU)
2023, Unveiling the Elemental – Mark Hachem Gallery, Paris (FR)
2023, Making Waves – Boon Gallery, Knokke-Heist (BE)
2023, Jean Boghossian – Opera Gallery, Monte-Carlo (MC)
2022, Floralies Gantoises – Coutre, Ghent (BE)
2022, Dialogue – Matenadaran, Yerevan (AM)
2022, Melencolia Contemporanea – Compagnia della Vela, Venice (IT)
2022, Bentley Art Car – GT World Challenge Race, Brussels (BE)
2022, Antinomia Ardente – Galleria Il Ponte, Florence (IT)
2022, Jean Boghossian – Mazarine Variations, Paris (FR)
2022, BRAFA – Boon Gallery, Brussels (BE)
2022, Menart Art Fair – Galerie Tanit, Paris (FR)
2022, Contes, Mythes et Légendes – Galerie Tanit, Beirut (LB)
2022, LAW – Nosbaum Reding Gallery, Luxembourg (LU)
2021, Jean Boghossian at Wilford X – Wilford X, Temse (BE)
2021, Recent Works – Galerie Guy Ledune, Brussels (BE)
2021, Art On Paper – Galerie Valérie Bach, Bozar, Brussels (BE)
2020, Feuerspuren – Sichtweisen Burgkirche Project, Friedberg (DE)
2020, Jean Boghossian at Wilford X – Wilford X, Temse (BE)
2020, BRAFA – Boon Gallery, Brussels (BE)
2019, Flamme Intérieure – Wooyang Museum of Contemporary Art, Gyeongju (KR)
2019, Cessez le Feu! – United Nations, Geneva (CH)
2019, Ekphrasis – Boghossian Foundation, Brussels (BE)
2019, About Nature & Colours – Gallery Tanit, Munich (DE)
2018, Flamme Intérieure – Ground Museum of Contemporary Art, Yongin (KR)
2018, Building with Fire – L’Orient-Le Jour, Beirut (LB)
2018, Fiamma Inestinguibile II – National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan (AM)
2018, Rythmes & Matières – Galerie Valérie Bach, Brussels (BE)
2018, Rhapsody in Red and Blue – Galerie Pièce Unique, Paris (FR)
2018, Jean Boghossian – Cardi Gallery, London (UK)
2018, Unpredictable Horizons – Ayyam Gallery, Dubai (AE)
2018, 1914–1918: Not Then, Not Now, Not Ever! – Varusschlacht Museum und Park Kalkriese, Bramsche (DE)
2018, Exhibition of Monumental Sculptures – Square Armand Steurs, Brussels (BE)
2018, Monumento – InSitu and Land Art Brussels, Brussels (BE)
2017, Fiamma Inestinguibile – The 57th Venice Biennale, Armenian National Pavilion, Venice (IT)
2017, Traces Sensibles – Musée d’Ixelles, Brussels (BE)
2015, Au Rendez-vous des Amis: International Exhibition-Conference – Palazzo Vitelli, Città di Castello (IT)
2015, Sonoro Visiva, Esperienze di Confine Linguistico – Museo Archeologico di Atina e della Valle di Comino “G. Visacchi”, Atina (IT)
2015, Le Chat au Journal – Fonds Erasme, Brussels (BE)
2015, Tra Due Fuochi – Beirut Exhibition Center, Beirut (LB)
2014, Secrète Architecture – Galerie Guy Ledune, Brussels (BE)
2013, Le Très Doux Feu du Dedans – Wittockiana, Brussels (BE)
2013, Abu Dhabi Art – Agial Art Gallery, Abu Dhabi (AE)
2012, Vers la Lumière – Youngeun Museum of Contemporary Art, Gwangju (KR)
2012, À l’Épreuve du Feu – Galerie Guy Ledune, Brussels (BE)
2012, Jean Boghossian – Gallery Rivoli, Brussels (BE)
2011, Burning – Beirut Exhibition Center, Beirut (LB)
2009, À Plein Tube sur la Lumière et la Couleur – Galerie Guy Ledune, Brussels (BE)
2008, XXL Summer Group Show – Galerie Guy Ledune, Brussels (BE)
2006–2010, Various Exhibitions – Galerie Guy Ledune, Belgium (BE)