Jesse Willems

Jesse Willems

  • Collages
  • Photographs
  • Publications
  • Contact
  • Collages
  • Photographs
  • Publications
  • Contact

About

Jesse Willems (°1984) has an interest in exploring the boundaries between the figurative and abstract aspects of street life. When his great grandfather left him a collection of 800 old National Geographic magazines, he started scanning them, looking for tiny abstractions in photographs from the fifties. Thus creating contemporary collages, while working with 70 year old materials. In both his photography and collage work, he works in this same manner. Scanning the streets for small fragments of everyday life, often overlooked, enlarging them until their beauty can no longer be overlooked. This first resulted in the series The future – and other jet age inventions, on show at Samuel Maenhoudt Gallery from April 15 until June 6, 2017.

This first solo show was a pivoting point toward an even more abstract view on everyday life. Inspired by the 1920’s avant-gardist movement, and the stoic philosophy of Epictetus, his work took a more personal approach, closer towards the needs felt in 21st century life. His work got smaller, leaving more space for silence. Ultimately leading to the series Chresis ton phantasion. The rational testing of different impressions, to see whether or not they deserve our assent. By eliminating all clutter, all that remains is the few fragments worth remembering. The series Chresis ton phantasion was on show at Belgium Art and Design (BAD) at ICC Ghent, February 8 - 11, 2018.

 

Jesse’s work is in the collections of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, MAS Museum Antwerp, several private collections, and has appeared in publications such as Billboard magazine (US), The New York Times (US), The Times (UK), The Guardian (UK), De Volkskrant (NL), …

His first book Barak Friture 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.

In 2017 his work was on show at MAS Museum Antwerp (Antwerpen à la carte), Samuel Maenhoudt Gallery (The future – and other jet age inventions) and the Belgian Embassy in Kinshasa, Congo (Barak Friture).

2018 brought a solo show (Chresis ton phantasion) at Belgium Art and Design (BAD) in February and an exhibit at Native Auctions starting from June 7.

The collage he made for hip-hopartist Coely earned him a Red Bull Elektropedia Award (Best Artwork) and a nomination for Best Artwork at the Music Industry Awards (MIA’s).

Clients include: Antwerp Royal Museum of Fine Arts, FoMu, University of Antwerp, MAS Museum Antwerp, Brussels Airlines, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, and through different agencies he has worked for brands such as Bpost, Proximus, Microsoft, Red Cross, Carrefour, Lidl, Johnson & Johnson, …

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

© 2018 Jesse Willems

Inspiration

Berenice Abbott

Dogon

Marthe Donas

František Drtikol

Marcel Duchamp

Saul Leiter

Viviane Sassen

Victor Servranckx

Paolo Sorrentino

Masao Yamamoto

Hanya Yanagihara

Contact

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



Portrait © Sebastiaan Beysen

Collage Violence - blank and pointless by Jesse Willems

Violence – blank and pointless

3 June 2018
by Jesse Willems
Photograph 'Mondrian storefront' by Jesse Willems.

Mondrian storefront

11 February 2017
by Jesse Willems
Collage 'Fallen idol' by Jesse Willems

Fallen idol

5 January 2017
by Jesse Willems
Photograph 'Mondrian suit' by Jesse Willems.

Mondrian suit

20 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
The beauty of not being sold anything by Jesse Willems.

The beauty of not being sold anything II

19 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Composition 3 by Jesse Willems.

Composition

18 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Portrait of Belgian singer and rapper Coely by Jesse Willems.

Coely

18 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Collage 'Bottlecelli's Venus' by Jesse Willems

Bottlecelli’s Venus

18 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Portrait of Belgian designer Dries Van Noten by Jesse Willems.

Dries Van Noten

17 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Collage Tamahine o te moana by Jesse Willems

Tamahine o te moana

16 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Portrait of French actor Vincent Cassel by Jesse Willems.

Vincent Cassel

15 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Photograph 'Blue Girls' by Jesse Willems.

Blue girl

12 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Photograph 'Twisted necks and sexy calls' by Jesse Willems

Twisted necks and sexy calls

11 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Photograph Twisted necks and sexy calls II by Jesse Willems

Twisted necks and sexy calls II

11 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Collage The eerie interference of man and machine by Jesse Willems

The eerie interference of man and machine

11 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Collage Drugs that scare even hippies by Jesse Willems

Drugs that scare even hippies

11 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Collage Murf, the surf and his jewel-studded jinx by Jesse Willems

Murf, the surf and his jewel-studded jinx

11 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Collage Three critical questions for all who take pictures by Jesse Willems

Three critical questions for all who take pictures

10 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Portrait of American fashion designer and philanthropist Diane von Furstenberg by Jesse Willems.

Diane von Furstenberg

10 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Portrait of Dutch chef Sergio Herman by Jesse Willems.

Sergio Herman

9 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Belgian jazz musician and composer Toots Thielemans, holding a harmonica in his hands.

Toots Thielemans

7 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Collage The sensible thing is to kill them off by Jesse Willems

The sensible thing is to kill them off

6 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Photograph The publication of intimate letters that were never intended for publication is not permissible among persons of honour by Jesse Willems

The publication of intimate letters that were never intended for publication is not permissible among persons of honour

6 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Composition 2 by Jesse Willems.

Composition

5 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Photograph 'The beauty of not being sold anything' by Jesse Willems.

The beauty of not being sold anything

3 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Photograph 'Smoker's reflect' by Jesse Willems.

Smoker’s reflect

2 November 2016
by Jesse Willems
Collage 'This Bogey guy seems to have had an awful lot of spare time' by Jesse Willems

This Bogey guy seems to have had an awful lot of spare time

30 October 2016
by Jesse Willems
Portrait of American actor Willem Dafoe by Jesse Willems.

Willem Dafoe

30 October 2016
by Jesse Willems
Portrait of British designer sir Paul Smith by Jesse Willems.

Sir Paul Smith

5 January 2016
by Jesse Willems
Portrait of Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt by Jesse Willems.

Usain Bolt

3 January 2016
by Jesse Willems
Collage À aucun moment elle ne m’a jamais vu by Jesse Willems

À aucun moment elle ne m’a jamais vu

3 January 2016
by Jesse Willems
Photograph 'Brussels' by Jesse Willems

Brussels

2 January 2016
by Jesse Willems
Collage We must live by the give and take of bargaining by Jesse Willems

We must live by the give and take of bargaining

2 January 2016
by Jesse Willems
Photograph Pocketful of spring I by Jesse Willems

Pocketful of spring I

2 January 2016
by Jesse Willems
Photograph Pocketful of spring II by Jesse Willems

Pocketful of spring II

2 January 2016
by Jesse Willems
Photograph Famara by Jesse Willems

Famara

1 January 2016
by Jesse Willems
Collage Back from places we never lived by Jesse Willems

Back from places we never lived

1 January 2016
by Jesse Willems
Collage Don't shoot unless you're loaded by Jesse Willems

Don’t shoot unless you’re loaded

1 January 2016
by Jesse Willems
Portrait of Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck by Jesse Willems.

Walter Van Beirendonck

1 January 2016
by Jesse Willems