Jesse Tomballe b. 1986
° Antwerp, Belgium
Jesse Tomballe creates an imaginary world in which characters are portrayed in different situations. The figure and its surroundings gradually emerge while painting, with stylistic considerations taking precedence over the theme. A certain subject or character for a painting can have multiple origins whether based on impressions out of imagination, observation, art history or from memory. In some cases, figures are made up, at other times they are assembled from different sources, ranging from found imagery to people nearby acting as models.
Depending on the subject matter, he works on different formats and aims for a naturalistic representation. His main interest when painting figures or portraits is not confined to the representation of certain individuals but lies rather in their use in an allegorical sense. In this way, the artist wants to bridge the gap between reality and imagination.
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Jesse Tomballe
People on Sunday 22 Nov 2025 - 11 Jan 2026 New SouthJesse Tomballe’s People on Sunday reveals a world where ordinary moments take on a quiet intensity. Familiar figures appear in bedrooms, kitchens, gardens and parks—spaces where time seems to slow,...Read more -
Jesse Tomballe
Waiting for Summer 2 Sep - 8 Oct 2023 South (former location)Read more
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The journey, 2026
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Greetings from arcadia, 2025
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Picknick by the lake, 2025
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The swamp, 2025
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De valstrik, 2024
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Het spel, 2024
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The companion, 2024
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Meisje met Citroenen, 2023
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The Flower Detective, 2023
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Daddy's girl , 2022
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Meisje a/h zwembad, 2022
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Bubble, 2021
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Selected exhibition |
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| 2025 |
BRAFA Art Fair, Brussels, BE |
| 2024 |
'Don't think twice, it's all right', Gallery Sofie Van de Velde, Antwerp, BE |
| 2023 |
'Waiting for Summer', Gallery Sofie Van de Velde (South), Antwerp, BE. |
| 2022 |
‘New friends, old habits’, solo presentation at The Wunderwall, Antwerp , BE. |
| 2021 |
‘Unmute’, Bib Tweebronnen, groupshow with teachers of SLAC, Leuven, BE. |
| 2019 |
‘The human condition II’, groupshow with Charif Benhelima, Marjam Najd, Kusseneers Gallery, Brussels, BE. |
| 2018 |
‘Paradijs’, Bib Tweebronnen, groupshow with teachers of SLAC, Leuven, BE. |
| 2017 |
‘The self’, Bib Tweebronnen, groupshow with teachers of SLAC, Leuven, BE. |
| 2015 |
'Provoking the unreal’, SMK31, Antwerp, BE. |
| 2014 |
'Magma crowded', Antwerp, BE. |
| 2013 |
MAGMA expo 5, Antwerp, BE. |
| 2012 |
MAGMA expo 3, Antwerp, BE. |
| 2011 |
MAGMA expo 1, Antwerp, BE. |