Father Frans Claerhout Deluxe boxed set, incomplete (1992)

An incomplete deluxe boxed set; text of 20 pages complete; only 8 out of the 26 signed prints are present; all pages have slight surface wear and thumb creases.

This 1992 publication by A Kreatiewe Uitgewers BK (Handgedrukte Boek) on the life and thoughts of Belgian-South African Catholic priest and artist Father Frans Claerhout (1919–2006) stands out for several remarkable production details:

The edition was limited to 550 total copies. This specific volume is No. 98, placing it within the Luukse (De Luxe) tranche of 100 copies (numbered 1 to 100), which featured special binding/casing compared to the standard run (numbered 101 to 550).

As highlighted by author Chris Spies in the Voorwoord, no commercial offset or relief printer touched the sheets. The entire text block, along with Claerhout’s artwork reproductions, was printed entirely by hand using silkscreen (syskerm).

Rather than serving as an academic art biography, the text relies directly on correspondence and interviews with Claerhout, intentionally preserving his distinctive Flemish-inflected Afrikaans speech patterns.

The wooden-board casing displays Claerhout’s signature black brushwork character—a bold, minimalist depiction of a figure with raised arms typical of his spiritual expressionist style.

Box size: 325mm x 445mm x 30mm

R10,000