Jesse Willems

Jesse Willems

Photography

  • Photographs
  • Publications
  • About
  • Contact
  • Photographs
  • Publications
  • About
  • Contact

About

Jesse Willems (°1984) has been working as a freelance photographer since 2009. Self taught, he regards every photo he takes as part of a continuous and eclectic learning process. He strives to reinstall the aesthetics we lost in the seventies, and is inspired by great photographers such as Ernst Haas, Saul Leiter and Jacques-Henri Lartigue.

His main interests are street photography and portraiture, focussing mainly on the temporary aspects of everyday life.

His first book, Barak Friture (Luster), was published in the fall of 2014, selling both in Europe as in the US, UK and Asia. The book was on display in stores such as Colette in Paris, and Tate Modern in London.

Tate Modern about Barak Friture: ‘In this colorful book, Jesse Willems celebrates a sight that’s slowly disappearing: the road side chip shops of Belgium. If you like the photography of Martin Parr, this book will definitely be your bag of chips.’

His photographs are in the collections of the Belgian Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, the MAS museum and have appeared in publications such as The Times (UK), The New York Times (US), The Sidney Morning Herald (AUS), De Standaard (B), De Morgen (B), De Volkskrant (NL), Financieele Dagblad (NL) and Le Vif (B).

Clients include: Antwerp Royal Museum of Fine Arts, University of Antwerp, Johnson & Johnson, Antwerp Chamber of Commerce, the MAS museum, and through different agencies he has worked for brands such as Bpost, Proximus, Microsoft, Red Cross, Carrefour, Lidl, Janssen, …

He lives in Antwerp with his girlfriend and an ever growing collection of vintage prints, paintings, and plants. He enjoys surfing, cycling and writing about himself in third person.

Inspiration

Photography books:
Harry Gruyaert — Roots
Jacques-Henri Lartigue — D’air et d’eau
Saul Leiter — Early Color
Yamamoto Masao — Small things in silence
Ray K Metzker — The photographs of Ray K Metzker
Alec Soth — Sleeping by the Mississippi
Alex Webb — The suffering of the light

Art:
Edward Hopper
Alex Katz
Henri Matisse
Gerhard Richter
Ed Ruscha
Rinus Van De Velde
Jan Yoors

Films:
Sprout (Thomas Campbell)
Youth (Paolo Sorrentino)
La grande bellezza (Paolo Sorrentino)

Contact

For more information about his work or any inquiries, please contact Jesse:

Print sales

You can buy prints of Jesse‘s work at the Samuel Maenhoudt gallery.
  • © 2016 Jesse Willems

Hi, I’m Jesse. A photographer interested in lines, light, colours and those three things combined. I walk the streets of my hometown Antwerp, and travel the world looking for that moment when good light hits an even greater spot.

It took me a lot of time to shoot these photographs, so please take your time to go through all of them. And don’t forget to say hi.

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jesse willems photography cars and stripes

Cars and stripes

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography the beauty of not being sold anything

The beauty of not being sold anything

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography mondrian suit

Mondrian suit

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography daily walk

Daily walk

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography dries van noten

Dries Van Noten

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography girl walks

A girl walks

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography vincent cassel

Vincent Cassel

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography blue girl

Blue girl

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography the beauty of not being sold anything

The beauty of not being sold anything

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography sergio herman

Sergio Herman

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography orsay

Orsay

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography seppe nobels

Seppe Nobels

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography ramphastos toco

Ramphastos toco

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography libre comme l'air

Libre, comme l’air

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography people of tomorrow

People of tomorrow

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography palm leaves

Palm leaves

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography people of tomorrow

People of tomorrow

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography nycticorax nycticorax

Nycticorax nycticorax

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography david guetta

Guetta’s in space

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography amnh

AMNH

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography antwerp

Antwerp

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography the beauty of not being sold anything

The beauty of not being sold anything

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography man with hat

Man with hat

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography smoker's reflect

Smoker’s reflect

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography autumn walk

Autumn walk

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography dayglo reflection

Dayglo reflection

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography the finger

The finger

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography willem dafoe

Willem Dafoe

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography biarritz

Biarritz

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography sir paul smith

Sir Paul Smith

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography taxi driver

Taxi Driver

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography manic

Manic

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography santa cruz

Santa Cruz

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography brussels geometry

Brussels geometry

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography moskowitz

Moskowitz

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography usain bolt

Usain Bolt

30 January 2016
by sarah
jesse willems photography walter van beirendonck

Walter Van Beirendonck

30 January 2016
by sarah
  • © 2016 Jesse Willems