Elia Vanderheyden is a contemporary Belgian visual artist who masterfully merges traditional printmaking techniques with cutting-edge technology, including Artificial Intelligence and laser cutting. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp (2024), Elia co-founded SPLINTER, a collective printmaking space where he serves as Chairman, dedicated to fostering innovation in the art of printmaking.

In collaboration with Museum de Reede, SPLINTER provides a platform for emerging printmakers to showcase their work in a modern context. Elia’s art has been featured in prominent exhibitions, including at Gallery de Uitstalling for “Uitgestald-1” (Genk), the OnBoards biennale (Antwerp), MAD Art Gallery (Poland), ITHAKA (Leuven), and internationally at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery (London). His accolades include winning first prize at the prestigious Frans Dille competition (Plantin Moretus Museum, Antwerp, 2021).

Elia’s work explores two distinct dialogues within the medium of print: one involves creating digital landscapes with A.I. tools and Photoshop, which are then transformed into woodcuts via laser cutting and printed by hand in the classical Japanese woodcut style. The other focuses on using the textures of wooden panels and inking techniques to produce abstract, meditative “noise prints,” offering a counterbalance to the overstimulation of modern visual culture.

​

Since August 2024, Elia Vanderheyden has been represented by Uitstalling Art Gallery in Genk, Belgium.