These are some stories

About people you might ‘ve met

They live in the real world

But mostly in my head

‘These are some stories’ is a series of portraits of fictional and more or less remarkable people. Twenty texts, twenty images. Some describe a singular moment, others encompass a lifetime. Some can be read as metaphors, others are just singular observations. The project is inhabited by a peculiar bunch of characters, ranging from lighthearted to ridiculous, from happy to sad, from enigmatic to delusional, from boring to horny. Although fictional, these twenty individuals are just as real, divers, complex and helpless as, in the end, we all are.

The motifs of the different stories vary greatly, as does the visual approach. Each image is not so much an illustration as it is an interpretation. The rug that ties the room together, is a strict rhyme scheme and a consistent visual sensitivity. The words are written in verse but have no ambition to be considered poetry. The images are photoshop collages, in which resolution disparities and seemingly faulted selections are allowed.

‘These are some stories’ taps into the ancient tradition of storytelling, which throughout history has always been a formidable way of holding up mirrors, evoking emotions and sharing human experiences. The project is an homage to the efforts, aspirations and quirkiness of humans, but is just as pleased to be called a charming collection of gossip.