Born in Mortsel, Belgium, in 1958, Luc Tuymans studied at the Sint-Lukas Instituut in Brussels and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. He initially pursued filmmaking before turning his focus to painting in the 1980s, a period during which he developed his signature style of working from pre-existing imagery, such as photographs, film stills, and historical documents.

His practice is characterized by a restrained color palette and a blurred, cinematic aesthetic that often obscures the subject matter. Tuymans frequently explores themes related to World War II, colonial history, and the banality of evil, challenging the viewer to confront the complexities of collective memory and the act of looking.

Tuymans remains a significant figure in contemporary art, with his works held in major museum collections worldwide. His influence persists through his continued exploration of how painting can engage with political and historical narratives in a digital age.