Bell Boy

Bell Boy, painted in 2023, depicts what appears to be an innocent figure suggested by its title, but the history behind the image tells a very different story. The work is based on photographs from Dresden, Germany, in the late 1930s, likely of a fascist soldier. Its sparse palette and subtle blur create an intentionally deceptive sense of calm, forcing us to confront how easily beauty can obscure the true nature of violence and complicity. This quietly radical approach is emblematic of the artist’s broader practice, where images operate as unstable carriers of meaning, capable of communicating and withholding at once. 

Based on the original: Bell Boy, 2023. Oil on canvas, 157.2 x 93.2cm, collection museum Voorlinden, Wassenaar, The Netherlands.