PILLOW BOOK

“Revisiting the past they discovered a different truth; unmasking the memory’s elaborate facade. The heartache they felt was real, yet the facts had been rearranged by time, weaving a new realm from the strands of their longing and imagination.”

‘Pillow Book’ is an exploration into the connections between past and present experiences. Much like the Japanese concept of a ‘pillow book,’ where personal reflections are curated into a single artistic space, Vandebrug’s work captures the essence of moments reshaped by time and the impact of our memories on new realities they form.

Each composition consists of over 200 mono-types on handmade paper cards which serves as a testament to Vandebrug’s dedication to pushing the boundaries of traditional photography and concurrently mirrors the transient nature of memory. The compositions reveal the intricate dance between the authentic and the distorted and are an amalgamation of intimate leaf close-ups and expansive landscapes. They stand as an eloquent metaphor for the multifaceted nature of recollection and memory - how it can be both faithful and altered.

Everything Flows –

Since 2014, I have walked along the Danube, from its mouth at the Black Sea through Moldova, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia. The river mirrors my thoughts—like leaves floating downstream, some are held onto, while others drift away. Picking up a leaf or flower transforms it from mere debris into a relic, a meditation on presence and impermanence.

Everything Flows is a series of non-expressionistic photographs of these relics—sand, stones, broken flowers, and seeds—captured with industrial and biological microscopes. Arranged in grids, they transcend their impermanence, inviting new interpretations.

Under the microscope, a damaged flower reveals hidden faces in its veins, forging an unexpected bond. Suspended against a dark blue background—the rarest pigment in nature—it no longer appears broken but intentionally imperfect.

The river’s constant flux embodies life’s cycles, offering both emotional solace and philosophical insight. As Heraclitus said, "You can never step in the same river twice." My photographs capture this ever-changing journey.

Joost Vandebrug's (1982) photographic works are a testament to his underlying interest in challenging the boundaries of traditional photography, while reminiscent of the Assemblage and Xerox art movements. Through his intricately detailed and poetically tactile compositions, Vandebrug captures the essence of moments reshaped by recollection and memory. Historically, assemblage has been associated with a static logic of time, where diverse fragments are juxtaposed to become part of the same entity. In contrast, Vandebrug's compositions are not locked in such a sense of immediacy. Instead, they involve a transforming movement between the past, present, and future, creating a sense of presence that is constantly deferred. This makes it possible to perceive the works as diagrams of breakdowns, where several states overlap and emerge from each other.  Vandebrug creates works that employ time in a conceptual, physical and highly sensitive manner. His practice goes beyond the personal and touches upon a universal and contemplative state.

His recent series include “Pillow Book", which explores the connections between past and present experiences, and "Exhilarating", a pictorial narrative about light and positivity. The artist employs various printing techniques such as pigment transfers and silver-gelatin prints on hand-made Washi, copper plates, and traditional Barite paper. He chooses to work with historical photographic techniques, which are susceptible and delicate and often aligns them with his subject matter. He also deviates from the photographic convention of producing and preserving flawless prints.

Joost Vandebrug is a multidisciplinary artist who studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam.

Before dedicating his career solely to his art, Joost Vandebrug was a filmmaker. His highly acclaimed documentary, Bruce and the Outlaw, follows a young homeless boy adopted by a notorious figure and living in the underground tunnels of Bucharest. This intimate documentary, which won international recognition, profoundly influenced Vandebrug's transition to art, shaping his exploration of themes such as human vulnerability, memory, and the passage of time.