My Father

In 2007 Kim De Ruysscher decided to create a sculpture about rest and enjoyment. He drew his inspiration from his father, who was always tired on coming home after work each day and would subsequently take a nap in his chair. He had just enough time to take of his shoes off before he would doze off, but felt no need to go to any more trouble to make himself comfortable. Rather than portraying his father in a personal family portrait, he depicted him as a sleeping man that many people can identify with. In addition, the work deals with much more than a momentary event. It is about the meaning or the gratitude of rest, the permission or relativization of a prior history that every person has a right to. After three years’ work, with lots of energy and courage, Kim De Ruysscher finally finished the sculpture in 2010.