Reimond Kimpe was born in 1885 in Gent, Belgium. Although Kimpe began his career as an engineer, in 1923 he became unable to work due to illness. He abandoned this and whilst in recovery dedicated himself to painting, which became his life’s work.
Many of his paintings illustrate his interest in the sea and seafaring paraphernalia. All of his paintings are deeply symbolic. At first Kimpe his paintings where mostly expressionistic, but after the the second World War they became more abstract.
Kimpe’s paintings were first shown in 1922 at the Den Haag Kunstzaal Toorop and then in 1924 at the Middelburg Kunstmuseum. Kimpe exhibited his works almost every year in Belgium and the Netherlands. He showed his work in 1930 at La Galerie Themis in Belgium. Whilst in Paris during the late 20’s and early 30’s he met Picasso and Chagallin, in 1929, 1931 and 1932 he exhibited with the Surindéndants.
In 1942 he exhibited at the Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem and in 1962 in Antwerp. Kimpe’s works have been acquired by many museums including the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Museum Boymans in Rotterdam, Museum voor Schone Kunsten in Antwerp, Zeeuws Museum in Middelburg, and the Museo dell’Arte Moderno in Caracas..
After a career that spanned four decades Kimpe died in 1970.