Tuymans emerged in at a time when there were not many new contemporary painters making , or using imagistic paintings ; others include John Currin or Elizabeth Peyton . Tuymans ' subjects range from major historical events , such as the Holocaust or the politics of the Belgian Congo , to the inconsequential and banal : wallpaper patterns , Christmas decorations , everyday objects . Tuymans first made his mark in the 1980s , when he began to explore Europe 's memories of World War II with harsh , elegant paintings like '' Gas Chamber '' ( 1986 ) , which depicts the Dachau concentration camp . His " Heritage paintings " , inspired by a mood which he perceived in the US after the Oklahoma City bombing , depict normal , almost stereotypical American imagery , for example : two baseball caps ; Mount Rushmore ; the image of a man working ; a portrait ; a birthday cake ; the series also included a portrait of wealthy Ku Klux Klansman Joseph Milteer . The artist later aroused interest in 2000 with his series of political paintings titled '' Mwana Kitoko '' ( " beautiful boy " ) , which take themes out of the state visit of King Baudouin of Belgium in the Congo in the 1950s . The works were exhibited in 2000 at the David Zwirner Gallery and the following year in the Belgian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale . The most noted painting was of the king himself in his white military uniform
Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
Luc Tuymans