Luc Tuymans was born in Mortsel (BE) in 1958. To this day he still lives and works in Antwerp (BE). Tuymans works in his studio every day, perusing books to research his subjects. Nearly all his paintings are based on existing material such as drawings, personal photographs, found artefacts and movie stills. Tuymans almost always focuses on specific meanings reaching beyond what is shown, often founding the content on historical facts and materials.Often Tuymans will study one subject at length and spread it over several paintings. His self-willed way of painting has madeTuymans one the most respected painters of his generation. His work can be found in prominent international museums as well as in major collections.This publication appears on the occasion of Luc Tuymans' retrospective exhibition in Hungary. With innumerable analyses by arthistorians to precede us, we thought the most fitting and exciting accompaniment to this display would be a collection of writers' reflections on Tuymans' work. Since one of the things to make this retrospective display special is its being the artist's debut in Central-Europe -Hungary and Poland -, we madea point of inviting authors from the region to comment on his art. A writer's perspective will always be more uninhibited than an art historian's. We gave complete liberty to our authors to decide what to reflect on: a picture, Tuymans' activity as a painter, or some other aspect of his personality. The narratives, which share the spirit of the pictures, there fore display a number of personal traits.Exhibitions: Budapest (Dec-jan. 2008, Munchen Haus der Kunst (March, April, May), Warschau (June, July)