IBASHO presents the work of Dutch artist Casper Faassen

From 16 September until 19 November 2023, IBASHO will present the exhibition ‘Void’ with work by Dutch artist Casper Faassen. Faassen, who became interested in Japanese philosophy, explores the concept of ‘Ma’, also known as the silence between two moments, the emptiness in space and time, the void from which time has to start again. Beyond the notion of time, the void is also considered to be the fifth element in addition to earth, water, fire and wind in Japanese Buddhism. 

The exhibition will encompass two series. One with works depicting the Japanese dancer Madoka Kariya, who seems caught between the moment of appearing and disappearing. And one with works in which nature in all its stillness is central. Inspired by Japanese artists, such as Hasegawa Tohaku and Sesson Sukei, Faassen captures well-known Japanese landscapes like pine trees and mountain tops. 

The void as a recurrent theme is not only visible in terms of content, but also in terms of form. Faassen’s work is situated on the border between painting and photography. Multiple transparent photographic and painted layers are stacked on top of each other before a finishing craquelure is added to the surface. The craquelure adds texture and a sense of age to the work, emphasizing themes such as transience and fragility.

“That juxtaposition between the eternal and the temporal, beauty and decay, is my main theme. All painters and photographers have the ability to freeze time and capture one moment. I emphasize that role by adding elements of time. Not necessarily by using literal vanitas symbols but in the handling of materials.” ​
​— Casper Faassen

Faassen has built up an impressive oeuvre over the years, uniting Dutch and Japanese sources of inspiration. As such, craquelure is both a reference to the 17th century idea of transience as to the Chinese dynasties and their fragile porcelain. In his second solo exhibition at IBASHO, the void designates a place where both cultural inspirations come together and where images seem to exist solely in their frozen form. 

Void
​16.09 - 19.11.23
​IBASHO
​Tolstraat 67, 2000 Antwerp

Casper Faassen will be present during the vernissage on Saturday 16.09.23 from 15-18 pm.

©Casper Faassen

Biography of the artist:

Casper Faassen (°1975) grew up in Leiden, where he developed his passion for drawing, painting and art. The classical paintings by famous Leiden masters Gerrit Dou (1613-1675), Jan Steen (1625-1679) and Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) have been an important inspiration for the artist. In 2007, Faassen was awarded Talent of the Year in the Dutch national ‘Artist of the Year’ competition and in 2019 he won the ALPA Award at Photo Basel. His work has been exhibited and acquired by both private and public institutions such as Museum de Lakenhal (Leiden), Frans Hals Museum (Haarlem), the Royal Library (The Hague), and Haagsch Historisch Museum (The Hague).