Painting Exhibition Jozef Schellekens – Turnhout, 1961

From September 8 to 13, 1961, the upper floor and hall of the old town hall of Turnhout were transformed into a space for – among other things – the exhibition of the paintings of architect Jozef Schellekens.
With wall curtains, spotlights and specially designed tubular lamps, the town hall was given a new appearance — a testament to the creative energy that characterized Turnhout during that period.

The series of photos, taken by José Heerman, shows not only Jozef himself, but also his family, friends and colleagues. Together they form a unique snapshot of Turnhout modernism: a moment when art, architecture and community merged seamlessly.

Among those present were Mayor Richard Proost, pastor-artist Remi Lens, and architect René Van Steenbergen — all witnesses of a time when architecture extended beyond technique alone: it was a way of life.

Jozef’s children and son-in-law were also present:
Paul Schellekens, at that time still an architecture student at the Academy in Antwerp, and architect Carli Vanhout, married to Mia Schellekens, Jozef’s eldest daughter. Together with Carli’s brothers Leo and André Vanhout, active within the family construction company Frans Vanhout & Zn (now Vanhout.pro within Groep Van Roey), they continued to build on a shared heritage of craftsmanship and vision.

The family relationships extend even beyond the professional.
When Jozef’s first wife died in 1942 at the birth of Lieve Schellekens, during the war years of the “black-out”, the newborn girl was lovingly cared for by René Van Steenbergen and his wife. Lieve would later marry architect Karel Beuten from Berchem — a moving testament to the human warmth and friendship within this community.

Today, these images are not only a precious family heirloom, but also a visual document of the artistic vitality of Turnhout in the 1960s.
They tell of a generation that believed in progress, beauty and connection — values that still live on in the homes, archives and work of their descendants.