Her works on paper in diary-like books form a significant portion of her artwork. Utilizing word and image associations are characteristic of Du Bois's work, as is the use of language. These diaries, consisting of refined forms and scattered phrases, carefully positioned on otherwise empty grounds, have designated her public output, generally providing the content for her exhibitions in the form of pages torn from the notebooks arranged in novel constellations. These constellations have a high level of poetic strength as well as a striking fragility.
She formulates her (pre)occupation as a fight against forgetting, against oblivion. Her developed system of noting down what many overlook, of commenting so-called trivialities, by bending the bow between image and the written word has made her a fierce observer and commentator of the small systems in which we live, as well as the big wide world in which we attempt to make our small systems work.
She has three published books by Toohcsmi, Uitgevers, two books with Lannoo Publishers: one collaboration book with Japanese photographer Masao Yamamoto and one pure textual book.
She started a new collaboration with Hannibal Publishing in 2016. Arpaïs Du Bois has been working on a daily blog since 2008 called "Instant de jour et dessin d'un soir", which is a daily posted photograph combined with a daily drawing.
Reception
Concerning Du Bois's artwork, Roger Pierre Turine has stated, "Between dreams, pains, fears and passing euphoria, they are witness drawings and crutches to the artist whenever she doubts." Anne-Marie Poels remarked, "Du Bois sees, thinks, feels, hears and lets the result of this flow onto paper".
Books
Bundel Lichamen, Toohcsmi, 2001
Histoire, Imschoot, 2004
Des illusions virgule, Toohcsmi, 2005
Where We Met, Lannoo Publishers, 2011, ISBN 978-90-209-5788-4
Petit livre qui ne tient pas debout, Lannoo Publishers, 2013, ISBN 978-94-014-1102-8
Tout droit vers la fin en sifflotant, Hannibal Publishing, 2016, ISBN 978-94-9208-156-8
Exhibitions
Selected solo exhibitions:
"Mon rêve avait une jambe de bois" 2003, Asse
"Histoire" 2004, Aulnay-sous-Bois, (Paris)
"Petites graines de tous les jours" 2006, Prague
"Le sauvetage de la grande béquille" 2008, Antwerp
"Du corps au monde" 2010-2011, Kapellen
"Trois cent quatre-vingt-onze, deux mille sept cent quarante huit" 2011, Antwerp.
46 sketchbooks with a total of 2748 drawings, that together form the diaries of one year and 26 days. A mirror of herself in two thousand and a few splinters.
"Face au(x deux) mur(s)", 2012, Hasselt
"Where They Met", with Yamamoto Masao, 2012, Antwerp.
"Where They Met - and Further", with Yamamoto Masao, Semina Rerum, 2012, Zürich
"au manège défoncé", PAK, 2013, Gistel
"noyade sèche", Galerie van der Mieden, 2013, Brussels
"PAR LES BRETELLES", Gallery Fifty One, 2014, Antwerp
"trouver un moyen d'habiter le monde", Museum Dr.Guislain, 2016, Gent
"faire partie des gens qui chantent", Gallery Fifty One, 2016-2017, Antwerp
Selected group exhibitions:
"Tekeningen" 2004, Gent
"Papier" 2007, Antwerp
"Drawing Actions" 2009, Geel
"When Will They Finally See the Power of Drawing" 2010-2011, Antwerp.
This exhibition was presented as a "unique" and "first choice" exhibition in which drawings from 62 artists from the contemporary Belgian art-scene were brought together for the first time. Bert Popelier considered the exhibition "a revival of the art of drawing".
"Tchip Tchip", 2012
alongside Philippe Vandenberg, Masahisa Fukase, Raphaël Buedts, …, Marchin
"Raak", 2012
alongside Panamarenko, Johan Tahon, Koen Broucke, …,Ghent (SMAK), Ostend (Mu.ZEE), and Heerlen (Schunck)
"The Golem-Project", TINA-B, 2012, Prague
"gratis toegang", St. Martinuspastorij, 2013, Westmalle
"Quinta Essentia", semina rerum, 2013, Zürich
"Crossing lines again" Workplace, 2013, Antwerp
"Oorlog en Trauma", Museum Dr.Guislain, 2013-2014, Ghent
"ALMANACH", curated by Lorand Hegyi, Galerie Heike Curtze, 2014, Vienna (A) and Galleria Alessandro Bagnai, 2014, Firenze (I)
"La fureur de vivre", LA BRASSERIE, 2014, Foncquevillers (F)
"(RE)VIEW", groupshow at CCHA, curated by René Geladé, 2015, Hasselt
"The Pistil's Waltz", Groupshow at Gallery Fifty One, 2015, Antwerp
"PAUL GEES & ARPAÏS DU BOIS" at EVA STEYNEN.DEVIATION(S), 2015, Antwerp
"Grote Prijs Ernest Albert", De Garage, 2016, Mechelen
"Die van Aalst hedendaagse kunst uit privé-verzamelingen", curator Jan De Nys, 2016, Gent
"The Central Periphery", (Antwerp Art Weekend), DE STUDIO, 2016, Antwerp
"DRAWING FRONT", Drawing Centre Diepenheim, 2016 (NL)
