Small, repeated forms gathered within a single pod — clustered yet distinct — recur throughout Brussels-based artist Kasper Bosmans’ first solo exhibition in Seoul at Gladstone Gallery.
The peas function not merely as a visual motif, but as a metaphor shaped by the artist’s own experience of growing up queer in the absence of clear answers or role models.
“Inside a single pod, there are multiple peas, each individual yet existing together. When you look closely at the peas in my work, you begin to notice that they carry multiple layers of symbolism,” Bosmans said.
For Bosmans, identity is not something biologically predetermined. Instead, he understands it as something gradually constructed — formed through lived experience, relationships and the accumulation of influences over time.
The exhibition “Peas, Pod” at Gladstone Gallery, running through March 14, features paintings, sculptures and murals that explore themes of identity and expression through a contemporary queer lens.
Bosmans’ interest in tradition is also reflected in his technique.
For a series of multi-colored paintings, he uses silverpoint on oak panels, a technique long associated with Belgian art history. Within these works, references to artists such as Keith Haring and Jasper Johns are subtly woven into the recurring bean imagery in tribute to artists linked to the queer art scene.
Alongside these paintings are a series of “legend paintings” inspired by folk stories and overlooked voices.
The artist collaborated with the Belgian leather luxury brand, Delvaux, coinciding with the exhibition in Seoul. The collection consists of 13 leather works created in collaboration with the artist, incorporating symbolic motifs that the artist frequently employs in his practice.
Born in 1990, Bosmans has spent the past decade developing his technique of hand-patinating bronze, applying chemicals to the metal’s surface to alter its color and texture. Through this process, the artist explores both the physical gestures involved in shaping the material and the way bronze continues to shift and age over time.
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