Visual artist Yves De Vocht Follow.Art Card

About me

Yves De Vocht is a self-taught heraldic artist and visual artist based in Merksem, Antwerp. Under the title Pictor Armorum et Heraldicus Magister, he moves fluidly between two worlds that seem worlds apart at first glance, yet merge seamlessly in his hands: the strict, symbolic language of medieval heraldry and the quiet, poetic precision of Japanese visual art.

His work is defined by a distinctive technique of ink, pencil, and gold leaf on kraft paper — a combination that radiates both warmth and craftsmanship. In his Japanese-inspired series (such as Namida, Sugao no Kamen, and Hannya), he explores human emotion and masking, titled in kanji and steeped in stillness and concentration. At the same time, he works as a herald on commission: designing and painting letters patent (wapenbrieven) for families and institutions, drawing on a deep knowledge of heraldic rules, colour theory, and symbolism.

His most ambitious project is Codex Diabolus, a fully handmade illuminated manuscript originally envisioned at 200 pages, in which he breathes new life into the tradition of medieval illuminators — each page hand-written, illuminated, and carefully composed around recurring themes such as transition, the door, and transformation.

His personal coat of arms, featuring griffins as supporters and the motto "Dracones simul in aeternum," aptly captures his artistic identity: faithful to tradition, yet with a distinct, unmistakable voice of his own.

Yves has already exhibited at various venues across Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, including the Brabant Art Fair in Tilburg and the Belfry of Bruges, and continues to build a body of work centred on craftsmanship, symbolism, and quiet beauty.