Born in Belgium in 1967, Arlette Vandeneycken is a mother of two. Since 2000, she has been living in Rwanda and her last exhibition that spoke of the role of women as actors in society was at Nganzo Art Gallery on June 9th 2009.

She completed a Masters Degree in Anthropology and Compared Linguistics at the University of Tubigen in Germany after studying A-levels in Visual Arts and Art History.

Through attending various courses and workshops in ceramics, painting and etching in Beligium and Germany, Arlette sharpened her art skills.

However, she did not properly exploit her artistic nature because she was afraid to get out of shy closet. It was not until she saw her disabled aunt who painted and hosted a solo exhibition earlier this year that she got the courage.
"If my aunt can do it, then I can,” she said.

As an inspiration, she started painting and won the 2009 ‘Art for Peace’ Award of the Institute of National Museums. She is also member of ‘Isoko Arts Rwanda,’ an association of Rwandese fine artistes.

Arlette strongly believes that a new generation of Rwandan painters has come up who indulge in brighter colours unlike before.

Rwanda for the first time was represented in the East African Community by various local painters at the Biennale exhibition in Dar es Salaam in November 2009.

The skill of Rwanda’s painters was recognized and Arlette says, a new journey has just begun.

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