Mart de Houwer (Zonhoven, 29 March 1931 – 24 April 1999) was a Belgian artist who distinguished herself by her dedication to the theme of line. During her relatively short artistic career, which spanned two decades from 1979 until her death in 1999, she created a highly individual oeuvre consisting of drawings, paintings and sculptures.

After her education at the Municipal Academy of Fine Arts in Genk, where she was taught by Raf Mailleux and Piet Stockmans, among others, De Houwer developed a unique technique. She filled large sheets of paper and canvas with thousands of meticulously drawn lines, often in pencil or ink. These lines, placed in neat rows, created grey, monotone and calm surfaces that showed subtle variations on closer inspection. Some lines were thicker or less straight, indicating fatigue during work or the processing of emotions, and gave her work a personal character.

In addition to her two-dimensional work, De Houwer also created sculptures in marble, steel and bronze. A recurring motif in her sculptural work was the triangle and the knot, exploring the visual quality of line in three-dimensional forms. Her minimalist approach resulted in bold, geometric forms that distilled the essence of the human figure into a universal, abstract language.

Although her oeuvre is limited in quantity, it is characterized by a remarkable degree of stylistic coherence and depth. Her work has been recognized by institutions such as the Ministry of the Flemish Community and the Province of Limburg, who purchased several of her drawings. In 1990, she traveled to Carrara, Italy, to create sculptures in white marble, further illustrating her dedication to craft and her quest for perfection.

Mart de Houwer died at the age of 68 from pancreatic cancer. Her legacy offers a profound insight into the essence of art and craftsmanship, and her work remains a source of inspiration for lovers of minimalist and fundamental art.