Jeremy Jaspers. The Gaze

In the exhibition “The Gaze,” we present two bodies of work by Jeremy Jaspers that are connected by the theme of vulnerability: portraits of children and individuals with vitiligo.

The portraits of children depict queer individuals, mostly boys, often at a moment when what appears to be free and natural is being questioned by society.

From a very early age, social expectations, role models, and well-intentioned educational formulas begin to shape the child's self. Boys in particular learn to hide their sensitivity and play at being strong long before they understand why. These works remind us that identity was originally open. They make visible how early the feeling of “being different” can arise - and how much courage it takes to reclaim it later.

There are many examples of being different and the vulnerability that this creates. Jermey Jaspers discovered an intriguing parallel through a friend who had severe vitiligo, a disorder that causes white patches on the skin. This friend lamented that he had never seen a painting of someone with his skin. He asked Jeremy Jaspers if he would like to paint a portrait of him, which he did. This portrait led to numerous works that play with the special aesthetics of this skin. Long since, they are no longer just about vitiligo, but about the meaning of skin color, otherness, special beauty, identity, intimacy, and the question of why it seems so difficult to accept people who are different.

The juxtaposition of these two bodies of work aims to promote tolerance and openness encouraging us to view otherness as an enrichment rather than a threat. After all, we all have characteristics that are different, that are special, and that make us who we are.