Sven 't Jolle BE, b. 1966

Sven’s artworks have long exposed and critiqued systems of institutional power that benefit the few at the expense of the many. He shows an affinity with the underdogs of society, the undocumented and overlooked, the vulnerable and powerless, drawing inspiration from the artists who made art in response to the issues of their times, speaking out against injustices. Aligning himself with the folk artists, the outsider artists, the revolutionaries, the degenerates – the artists working outside or in opposition to the system – Sven’s practice seeks to present a counternarrative to the dominant narrative perpetuated by mainstream medias. Sven is wary, and rightly so, of what is happening in our world today: the rise of fascism, debates around freedom of speech and information, challenges to democracy, increasing tensions between East and West, and the threat of impending war with China.

(Excerpt of the essay 'I used to be for peace too' by Laura Couttie, 2023)