In a surprising new direction, Klaas Vanderperren expands his artistic horizons into the world of ceramics. For this exhibition, he has created nine exclusive masks under the title FACES, seamlessly extending his distinctive expressive visual language into a new medium.
Each mask has its own personality: a playful reflection on the roles we assume in everyday life. From the perfect Instagram smile to the masks we wear to conceal our less flattering sides. With a touch of irony, Vanderperren invites us to reflect on all the layers we carry with us – as if we weren’t even aware that we’ve become something of a walking fancy-dress mask shop ourselves.
Drawing on the age-old tradition of the mask, Vanderperren confronts us with the layers of identity we so often carry around without a second thought. The series moves along the boundary between tradition and contemporary visual culture, a world as fleeting as it is defining.
FACES is anything but a quiet, understated presentation. It is an exuberant celebration of colour, expression and self-mockery – a ceramic dance between seriousness and humour, inviting visitors both to smile and to reflect.