Jo Michiels

The (in)tangible desire

Through the sense of touch

Can we capture the moment when one skin meets another? What forms and structures emerge from physical encounters? What colours do these bodily connections have? For inspiration, Belgian artist Jo Michiels turns to vintage pornographic photographs. He is particularly drawn to their colours, lines and the movement of the photographed bodies, translating them into abstract compositions; above all, he seeks their nostalgic texture.

Jo Michiels works intuitively. He combines different painting techniques to build multiple layers on the surface. Their tangible thickness conveys a physical experience, inviting the viewer to come closer and explore the composition of colours, textures and layers. The work translates moments of intimacy and touch, creating a sense of personal connection and bringing the human need for contact to the fore.

His compositions reveal sensitivity and the presence of the artist. Through repetition, Jo Michiels intensifies his approach. He continues the creative process until unexpected and surprising things happen, forming a unity he could neither predict nor plan. Painting is a succession of immediate, crucial actions and moments, a direct release of emotions. This freedom, although shaped by what he carries with him, is essential — a freedom that speaks of painting as an experience.

For Jo Michiels, painting is an interactive, creative process involving matter and the surface. The act of painting often remains visible, as do the physical properties of the materials. His work emerges from following his instincts and embracing mistakes, leading to unexpected discoveries. His paintings reflect a deep desire to paint tangible things: a hunger for tactility, for feeling a form, a body, skin, in a search for organic unity.

Unfulfilled desires drive Jo Michiels as he continually searches for the elusive. His work seeks to make the absent present, and this unfulfilment is both imperfect and perfect. His often abstract images explore the desire for human connection and the beauty of the unexpected.