ATELIER - Stephan Vanfleteren

Stephan Vanfleteren is one of the most renowned Belgian photographers. To the general public, he is best known for his penetrating black-and-white portraits of both famous and anonymous individuals. However, his work is much more varied than that. Starting his career as a press photographer, Vanfleteren produced captivating photo reports on events dominating the news. Later, he began developing a variety of themes in extensive photo essays, ranging from storefronts to a journey along the mythical Atlantic Wall. Over the past twelve years, Stephan Vanfleteren has worked intensely at home, in a studio lit by daylight.

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The exhibition ATELIER, derived from the book of the same name, is a collection of these works. Whether working with natural light or artificial lighting, Stephan Vanfleteren seeks beauty and meaning. Gray theater curtains are omnipresent in the background. The photographer immortalizes both well-known personalities and anonymous figures. He is interested in the wrinkles on an old fisherman's face and examines Nick Cave's hand with the same attention as a bottle washed ashore. He adores his children, watching them grow, and the old passionate artists. He contemplates the stiffened small body of a kingfisher or the flexible waist of a dancer, following the sunlight as it gently slides over the curtain.