Jean-Claude Van Damme talks art, Hong Kong filmmakers and ‘good friend’ Vladimir Putin

If he had to pick one word, Jean-Claude Van Damme says he would describe his oil paintings as “simple”.The star of Bloodsport (1988) had swaggered into his art exhibition 40 minutes late, clad in full black, including the sunglasses he wore indoors. At 65 years old, the “Muscles from Brussels” still has a similar physique to the one at the height of his martial arts acting fame, though his hair is sparser and his gait less brazen.A long-time admirer of Sylvester Stallone, the Belgian-born actor – who has lived in Hong Kong on and off since 2006 – has mirrored his idol’s move to the easel. On March 6 and 7, he unveiled his oil paintings of 12 cities at the University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG) of the University of Hong Kong.From Paris to Rio de Janeiro, Van Damme has painted the cities in thick, hasty brushstrokes of someone seemingly running out of time.“These are more of a vision than just like … the art of painting,” he says. “[They are] not that good.”Jean-Claude Van Damme’s artworks in an exclusive painting vernissage at the University Museum and Art Gallery of the University of Hong Kong. Photo: Elson LiHis reproduction of one of the most famous scenes from Bloodsport, which was filmed in Hong Kong, is highly impressionistic. He has taken liberty with the angle and perspective of the figure, doing his signature split on The Peak, with the very loosely painted view of the harbour spread beneath him. Hong Kong is priced at US$300,000.