[1] He went to America in 1873, but returned the following year to continue his education at the Academy, where he became friends with Theodoor Verstraete and was influenced by exhibitions of post-impressionist art given by the Cercle Artistique of Antwerp.

Although committed to being an artist, his adventurous personality sought other outlets for his creativity, including a stint as an acrobat in a German circus.

[citation needed] In 1886, he visited the so-called "Congo Free State" as part of a brief expedition.

Following this snub, he joined with Eugène Broerman to produce a diorama that would be displayed in a pavilion devoted to the Congo (currently the Royal Museum for Central Africa) at the Brussels International (1897), founding the Société de nom collectif Hens et Broerman for that purpose.

Despite the prominence given to his African paintings, most of his work was focused on the Belgian coast, with ships as a recurring theme.