Émile Berchmans was a Belgian artist from artistic family. He was the son of Belgian artist Émile-Édouard Berchmans, and the brother of sculptor Oscar Bechmans.

He was trained at his father's studio and at the Liège Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied with Adrien de Witte. Émile Berchmans spent most of his career in Liège. With Armand Rassenfosse and Auguste Donnay, he was one of the main poster designers of Auguste Bénard's printing press in Liège: The collaboration between the three Liège artists and the French printer became the basis of a graphic production at the forefront of the poster art in Europe in the late XIX century and beginning of the XX century.

In 1904, Émile Berchmans was appointed professor of historical composition and sketches at the Academy of Fine Arts in Liège and became professor of Régine Renchon .He taught painting and decorative arts from 1922. Emile Berchmans was the director of the Academy from 1930 to 1934.

In 1892, he was the first president of the Royal Football Club of Liège .