Mannekes

This is the series in which I explore more social themes. The title came from viewers, who spontaneously started calling the figures “mannekes.”

“Main Character” withholds a central figure on purpose. The work plays with the idea that we instinctively search for someone to follow, a protagonist to focus on. By offering none, it quietly suggests that the viewer steps into that role. It reflects the simple truth that everyone is the main character in their own life — without needing to fear how others might judge them.
The reflective glass reinforces this idea: the viewer sees themselves in the work, making the piece show — quite literally — that everyone is the main character in their own story.

“All Good” is built on a 26 by 26 grid — 676 combinations representing 1,316 unique figures. The aim was to let as many singles and couples as possible see themselves reflected. I mapped singles and gay, straight and lesbian couples, considering natural variations in hair and skin tone. Each square received a unique individual or pairing, with no repetition. The title reflects the idea behind the work: whoever someone loves, whatever they look like — it’s all good.

“Social Distance” began as a small piece, created during the lockdown. A friend asked me to scale it up to 100 by 100 cm, and that request became the starting point for everything that followed. The work reflects how isolation can exist even in the middle of a crowd — a feeling born in lockdown, yet still familiar to many long after. Everyone experiences that distance at some point, even when surrounded by others.

“No Distance” was created right after the lockdown, as a response to Social Distance. Where the earlier work held an empty circle around a single figure, this one fills the center completely. It reflects the moment when life opened up again — when closeness felt possible, and being among others no longer meant feeling apart. The piece hints at a world where connection is within reach, even if that feeling isn’t constant for everyone.