Ballroom Invites is pleased to present "Opportunities for Lost Chances," a group exhibition featuring the fresh perspectives of recently graduated artists from La Cambre Brussels and The Royal Academy in Antwerp. Explore the captivating works of Jan Tromp, Maëlle Lucas-Le Garrec, and Liisa Pöysti.
Jan Tromp (b. 1995, NL): Jan's artistic journey, rooted in fine arts at HKU in Utrecht,
culminated with a master's in painting from the Royal Academy in Antwerp in 2023. His work
delves into the unintentional traces people leave in their daily lives. Through photography,
collages, cut-out paintings, and music, Jan seeks to encapsulate the remarkable aspects of his
personal surroundings. Join us in discovering the nuanced layers of Jan Tromp's observation.
"Jan Tromp's works showcase scenes that seize his
attention—absurd and banal gestures born of
boredom, instances of vandalism, the casual
movements of lazy workers, and the discord of irate
neighbors.
Venturing deeper, Tromp's art establishes a
connection to the bureaucratic and formal paper-laden
realm. Within the confines of office buildings, on
mailboxes, and gracing doormats, this world
possesses its unmistakable aesthetics—strict, to the
point, devoid of smiles. Tromp finds this realm fascinating.
The handwriting of a construction worker, the directives penned by his boss for his bike courier
duties, or the tender note a friend left while he slumbered—all find a place in Tromp's art.
Crafted symbols emerge from office materials and magnets, meticulously traced, drawn, cut out
of foil, and painted. There's an innate desire to laminate, a compelling need to minimize and
distill.
Tromp's artistic expression is a testament to the allure found in the mundane, the bureaucratic,
and the everyday traces of human interaction. Through symbols and meticulous craftsmanship,he aims to unravel the essence of these moments, inviting viewers to reflect on the peculiar
beauty concealed within the seemingly ordinary."
Maëlle Lucas-Le Garrec (b. 1997, FR):Maëlle Lucas-Le Garrec’s work is inspired by the magic of everyday artifacts. She explores the
oral transmission of collective imagination and craftsmanship. She draws upon family stories,
anchored in the pagan beliefs of Finistère. The pieces of antique furniture that she uses in her
sculptures are as many witnesses of these narratives, like sets full of past stories. She prefers
furniture that produces a physical and symbolic delimitation (door, clothing, partition). Societal
or intimate utopias are crystallized in it. She associates them with other more contemporary
forms and thus includes herself in the story's filiation. Her sculptures and drawings explore
the links between everyday objects and popular beliefs.
Liisa Pöysti (b.2000, FI): is a Finnish painter, who received a master’s degree in painting from
the Royal Academy in Antwerp in 2023.
The sketchbook acts as a starting point for their work, where they create imaginary drawings
and paintings guided by the subconscious.
The fictional sketches combined with real life reference images become ambiguous paintings,
suggesting a world that is almost, but not quite real.The paintings of Liisa Pöyti depict a sense
of absence and of nostalgia, of abandoned houses, empty chairs, and landscapes devoid of
people. Although often based on references in the real world, the world depicted in the
paintings is more memory than reality. The use of a blue palette recalls a dreamlike state, a
time when the day turns into night. The focus is on dusk and nighttime scenes, which blurs the
lines of dream and reality, creating an atmosphere that feels slightly uncanny. The limited colorpalette acts as an opportunity to better explore the possibilities of oil paint as a medium. Thesmall scale of the paintings invites the spectator to step closer, into the quiet world depicted.