Daan Gielis Belgium, 1988-2023

Daan Gielis was a Belgian artist whose poetic and deeply personal practice explored the tensions between vulnerability and resilience, desire and disillusionment, individuality and collectivity. Drawing from his background in hardcore punk and shaped by his experience of living with chronic illness, Gielis developed a singular visual language—often using neon, sculpture, and installation—to reflect on the emotional contradictions and social paradoxes that shape contemporary life.

His work engages with both high and low cultural forms, borrowing from subcultures, emojis, pop aesthetics and art historical references, to question how meaning is produced and felt. With recurring motifs such as wilting flowers, crying smileys and haunting jungles, Gielis created spaces where conflicting emotions could co-exist—happy and sad, strong and fragile—revealing the subtle poetry of our contradictory selves.

At the heart of his work lies a quiet but powerful insistence on sincerity and connection: a desire to transform the personal into the universal. Through his art, Gielis offered both solace and resistance, inviting us to consider how we might live meaningfully in a world that often seems incoherent.

Keteleer Gallery is honoured and delighted to represent the oeuvre of Daan Gielis. His work, which poignantly addresses fundamental existential and societal concerns, continues to inspire and move. We are convinced that his art—marked by a profound sensitivity and intellectual depth—holds enduring relevance. As such, we are fully committed to fostering the continued visibility, critical engagement, and appreciation of his work, both nationally and internationally.

 

Selected exhibitions:
Gielis presented solo exhibitions at institutions including De Garage (Mechelen, BE) and Pulsar (Antwerp, BE). His work was shown in major group exhibitions such as Leaps of Faith (Z33, Hasselt), De Stadscollectie: In/Zicht (M HKA, Antwerp, BE), Holland Festival (Amsterdam, NL), TraumA (Bruges Triennial, BE), M-IDZOMER (M Leuven, BE), and Horst Arts and Music (Vilvoorde, BE), among many others.

 

Public collections:
His work is held in several private and public collections, including Mu.ZEE (Ostend, BE) and M HKA (Antwerp, De Stadscollectie, BE). A permanent six-meter neon sculpture, Wilting Flower #5, was installed in 2025 at Abby Kortrijk, Belgium.