Motte Claus

Motte Claus is a Belgian collage artist and cultural organiser with deep roots in Ghent's artistic life. From Hotsy Totsy and De Geus van Gent to Galerie Ridderpad 42, she has spent decades bringing artists and audiences together while developing and exhibiting her own collage work.

Motte Claus is a Belgian collage artist and cultural organiser whose life has been closely connected with the artistic and literary world of Ghent for decades. Born in Wetteren, she became a familiar figure in Ghent's cultural scene through the legendary Hotsy Totsy, which she ran with Guido Claus. Far more than a café, Hotsy Totsy became a meeting place for artists, writers, musicians and other creative figures. Motte later brought the same commitment to culture and encounter to De Geus van Gent, helping develop it into an important social and cultural meeting place in the city.

After leaving the Ghent nightlife, Motte increasingly concentrated on visual art and exhibition making. Collage became an important part of her own artistic practice, allowing her to bring existing images and fragments together in new compositions. Her collages have been exhibited publicly, including a solo presentation at Galerie Pim De Rudder in Assenede in 2020.

Her involvement with art also extends beyond her own work. In 2021 she opened Galerie Ridderpad 42 in Laarne, creating an intimate exhibition space for artists she wanted to support and bring to a wider audience. The gallery has hosted both established and emerging artists, with exhibitions including work by Herr Seele and Kamagurka. Her long-standing contribution to cultural life has also included collaborations with organisations such as the Honest Arts Movement.

In 2026, Motte continues her own artistic practice and is taking part in Deur Nen Dijk in Assenede, an outdoor art and poetry project in which artists transform doors into individual works placed along the historic Doornendijk landscape. The project brings together visual art, literature, nature and community, themes that sit naturally within Motte's long involvement in bringing art and people together.