YVES DE BRABANDER

ABOUT

Yves de Brabander, a visual artist and photographer from Antwerp, Belgium, is renowned for his evocative fashion photography and fine art. Beyond surface aesthetics, he employs the male body as a canvas to convey richer narratives intertwined with themes of religion, notably Christianity, and his personal experiences as an adolescent in the 1990s — an era marked by advocating for gay rights amidst AIDS pandemic protests.

Yves, who graduated cum laude from KdG University, was the permanent photographer of Sensoa, the Flemish expertise center for sexual health, from 2004 to 2009. This role allowed him to delve deeper into the nuanced intersections of sexuality, gay culture and society.

His portfolio defies categorization. It’s a blend of art history, eroticism, and elements borrowed from arthouse cinema. His works have a story to tell, but they don’t spell it out; they invite you to explore and interpret. In his fashion photography, there’s a cinematic quality that’s hard to ignore, hints at his love for the silver screen —but it’s not about recreating film scenes or telling stories through fashion shoots. It’s more elusive, akin to the mystique of French cinema itself.

The theme of censorship in his work is not only reminiscent of his youth, but also reflects the new challenges of censorship in today’s society and social media.

His works, which have been exhibited in prestigious galleries such as Munch Gallery, CASSTL and Instinct, as well as at art fairs such as Art Basel Miami and Tom of Finland Art & Culture Festivals, have captivated audiences worldwide. His photographs have been published in esteemed publications such as “Art+Religion in the 21st Century” and Bruno Gmünder’s “VISIONS - Contemporary Male Photography”.

In spring 2024 he published his first ever monograph, COME CLEAN with the Austrian based Paper Affairs Publishers. Yves presents visual erotic poetry: “Obsessive, fetishistic and unapologetically queer”. In four chapters the viewer witnesses how the male body serves as Yves de Brabander’s canvas. The deliberate act of getting dirty on his handcolored charcoal backdrop becomes a catalyst for acceptance, sexual identity, lust and desire in our ever-changing society.

books

COME CLEAN

Preface and introduction by Slava Mogutin
first edition of 400 copies — APRIL 2024
Published by PAPER AFFAIRS Publishers, Vienna
Printed by Gerin Druck, Austria

exhibitions

solo exhibitions:

2022
Bring the Boys back Home, The Little Black Gallery, London

2018
Geworfenheit, Cedric Jacquemyn Showroom, Paris

2017
Shadows of Liberty, Cedric Jacquemyn Showroom, Paris

2016
Here is no Border only Dust, Cedric Jacquemyn Showroom, Paris

2012
Plains of Native Rites (Video Installation), Cedric Jacquemyn Showroom, Paris
Muted Beliefs, Cedric Jacquemyn Showroom, Paris

2011
Yves de Brabander, Trajector Art Fair by TAUT, Brussels
Video screenings, Berlin Fashion Week Glass Haus, Berlin

2008
Ecce Homo, Galeria Pauza, Krakow

2007
Yves de Brabander (screening), Barinn, Reykjavik

group exhibitions:

2024
Hantrax dolls, curated by Hantrax. MuHKA, Antwerp
Gay Propaganda 2.0, filmprogram curated by Slava Mogutin. Freiluft Kino Kreuzberg
Art Speaks Through Us, Tom of Finland Foundation, Berghain, Berlin
"Come Clean", (Three new books), CASSTL, Antwerp
Carne Sagrada, curated by Slava Mogutin, Manos Amigues, Mexico CIty

2023
Désir, curated by Yves de Brabander & Eric LeRouge, instinct.berlin, Berlin
Gay Propaganda, curated by Slava Mogutin, Freiluft Kino Kreuzberg, Berlin
Tom of Finland Art&Culture Festival 2023, The Knast, Berlin
An AIDS Walkthrough, instinct.berlin, Berlin
BOYS!BOYS!BOYS! at Worldpride, Working Dog Gallery, Sydney

2022
The GUTUG, Gallery Hole, Bentwaters
Gay Propaganda, curated by Slava Mogutin, Kickoff Tom of Finland Festival, London

2020
BOYS!BOYS!BOYS!, The Little Black Gallery, London

2014
Antwerp Art, RA Gallery, Antwerp

2012
Up against it, Munch Gallery, New York
Night, Munch Gallery, New York
Pride, WM Gallery, Antwerp
Saint Sebastian 1530-2011, Edelman Arts Gallery, New York

2011
Saint Sebastian 1530-2011, Edelman Arts @ Art Miami, Miami Beach
CUM, Curated by Stuart Sandford, VZ Gallery, London
To: Japan/Love, New York, Munch Gallery, New York
ENTER #1, Munch Gallery, New York
ASVOFF by Diane Pernet, Musée Pompidou, Paris

2010
INSTANT. Fearless Project, La Petite Mort Gallery, Ottawa
INSTANT. Fearless Project, Robert Goff Gallery, New York

2004
VISIONS: Contemporary Male Photography, Bruno's, Berlin

1998
Dag tegen de homofobie, FWH, Stadsfeestzaal, Antwerpen

publications

published works:

2024
Ecstacy Homosexuality, The Irrepressibles. video clip by Container.Love
Crap Zine #3, edited by Anthony Rawson-Campbell, UK

2023
Kavla Zine #3, curated by Konstantinos Menelaou and Florian Hetz, TheQueerArchive
Mein Schwules Auge #20, edited by Rinaldo Hopf, Konkursbuch - ISBN 9783887699864
Pineapple #8, edited by Ben Sabo, Hungary
Crap Zine #2, edited by Anthony Rawson-Campbell, UK
Pornceptual, edited by Chris Philipps, Germany
Boys!Boys!Boys! The Book, edited by Ghislain Pascal, Kehrer Verlag - ISBN 9783969001141

2022
Boys!Boys!Boys! #5, collab with TheSkinnyType, edited by Ghislain Pascal, UK
Boys!Boys!Boys! #4, edited by Ghislain Pascal, UK
Pornceptual, Germany
PNPPL, Hungary

2021
PNPPL, Hungary
The Ghost of Avant-Garde, edited by Adriana Lacko, Croatia
Pornceptual, Germany

2015
Art+Religion in the 21st Century, Dr. Aaron Rosen, Thames & Hudson - ISBN 9780500293034

2010
Client Magazine, United Kingdom
Show/Off, Royal Academy of Fine Arts - Fashion Department, Antwerp
Pref Magazine, France
Flesh MenMag, Spain
Homo Neurotic, United States
Yves de Brabander, Ninja Art Magazine, France

2009
YVY Magazine, Italy
Vanity Teen, China

2007
Global Art Exhibit Magazine #1, "Portfolio", United States
Bend over seks #3, Safe sex zine, SENSOA, Belgium
Global Art Exhibit Magazine #2, "Naked Ambition", United States

2006
Bend over seks #2, Safe sex zine, SENSOA, Belgium
VISIONS - Contemporary Male Photography, Bruno Gmuender Verlag - ISBN 3-86187-870-4

2005
Bend over seks #1, Safe sex zine, SENSOA, Belgium
Zizo #69, "Portfolio Yves de Brabander", Belgium

2004
Pijpen, gebruik je hoofd!, Poster campaign, SENSOA, Belgium

catalogues:

2023
Désir Zine, instinct.berlin, Berlin
An AIDS Walkthrough, instinct.berlin, Berlin

2012
Munch Gallery 2012. Munch Gallery, New York

2011
Munch Gallery 2011. Munch Gallery, New York

2008
Katalog 2010, curated by Karolina Harazim, Galeria Pauza, Krakow
Ecce Homo, Catalogue for Galeria Pauza

selected press:

2024
"The Censored Canvas: Queer Art in the Age of Online Censorship", QueerMajority
"Dirty boys Come Clean for photographer Yves de Brabander", Gayety
"Ik zie kunstfotografie als therapie om identiteit te vinden", Gazet van Antwerpen
"Yves de Brabander, La voz humana", by Gustavo Forcada, Belfusto Magazine
"Come Clean Bookreview", PNPPL Mag

2023
"These images are a deep dive into the complexities of sex...", Dazed Digital

2022
Artist of the Month: Yves de Brabander, Boys!Boys!Boys! — link
"Yves de Brabander; Senderos de Gloria", Belfusto Magazine

2021
Yves de Brabander, Facts Magazine #16
My Muse: Cedric Jacquemyn, NVRMIND Paper #13

2011
"Modern Eros: Yves de Brabander", edited Gene Ku Chin, PPaper Fashion, Taiwan

2010
"Picture This!", DNA Magazine, Australia
"Editorial of the month: Anvers Dec '47", Ken Pratt, Other Edition, United Kingdom
"Spotlight: Yves de Brabander", Albert Smith, The Advocate, Los Angeles
"Yves de Brabander Funky Trasy si de vis", RGN Magazine, Romania

2008
Studio Brussel, interview on Ecce Homo with Thomas de Soete, Belgium
"Polen boos om religieuze Homofoto's", Gazet van Antwerpen, Belgium
"Ecce Homo Projekt Zrealizowali", FOTO, Poland
"Wernisaz wystawy Ecce Homo", Fotografuj, Poland
"Ekscentryczne Ecce Homo", MM Krakow, Poland
"Oto Czlowiek projekt Yves de Brabander", Fotopolis, Poland
"Wystawa Fotografii Yves de Brabander", Clubber, Poland

2007
"Les mysterieuses", Pref Magazine, France
"This is a man's world! Yves de Brabander", de FOTOgraaf, Netherlands

2006
"De man van Yves de Brabander", Thijs Demeulemeester, Knack Weekend, Belgium
"Visions contemporary male photography", Maenner Aktuell, Germany

2005
"Man fotografeert man", ELLE, Belgium

2004
"De dromer: Yves de Brabander", Zone03, Belgium