Belgium is celebrating 75 years since the death of the artist James Ensor with a series of exhibitions held at prominent Antwerp museums, including KMSKA Antwerp, Antwerp Photography Museum FOMU, The Antwerp Fashion Museum MoMu and Plantin-Moretus.
In September, I travelled to Antwerp where I was invited to learn about the life and work of James Ensor, widely regarded as the greatest modern master of Flanders, who was a pivotal figure in shaping 20th-century modernism.
KMSKA Antwerp
This primary exhibition highlighted Ensor’s role in foretelling both Expressionism and Surrealism. His early works were often quite dark, but over time, his vibrant, mask-laden paintings reflect a profound artistic evolution. I learned that the masks represented the façades people present to the world, concealing their true selves—a symbolic nod to society’s “two-faced” nature. This exhibition provided the groundwork for exploring the rest of the show series.
You can book your visit here.
Wirth
Antwerp Photography Museum FOMU
The next exhibition celebrated Cindy Sherman, the American artist renowned for photographing herself in varied personas since the 1970s. Each new identity she creates, through makeup, wigs, prosthetics, and costumes, explores exaggerated beauty ideals and aging with humour and a sharp visual edge. Like Ensor’s masks, Sherman’s transformations align seamlessly with this series of exhibitions. Her journey in fashion, initially overlooked by magazines like ‘Vogue’, evolved as she gained acclaim. In the early days she would source clothing from vintage stores, but as her work grew in popularity. Her fashion breakthrough came in 1983, when she collaborated with Dianne B. Benson and later with Comme des Garçons, Chanel, and Stella McCartney.
& Wirth
The McCartney collaboration, tied to her Spring 2017 men’s collection, marked Sherman’s first portrayal of men. Though her vivid backgrounds intrigue, Sherman remains the focal point of each image.
Hauser & Wirth
In 2010, POP magazine invited her to create a series of imaging using pieces from the Chanel archive. Sherman is known for her elaborate use of makeup, but she was so worried about getting the makeup on these archive pieces, that in this series, she is makeup free. Sherman has also worked with labels such as Marc Jacobs. This exhibition offered a fresh appreciation for her contributions to fashion and art.
You can book your visit here.
The Antwerp Fashion Museum MoMu
The Masquerade, Makeup and Ensor exhibition was a multimedia experience exploring the artistry of makeup and hairstyling, aligning with Ensor’s use of masks. It was my favourite exhibition of the four, examining why we wear masks, society’s fear of aging, and shifting beauty ideals.
The exhibit featured works by Belgian makeup artist Peter Philips, who is creative and image director of Christian Dior makeup, Pat McGrath’s viral glass skin look for Maison Margiela’s Spring 2024 Haute Couture show, and Julien d’Ys’ collaborations with Wallpaper Magazine, John Galliano, and US Vogue. Also displayed were Issy Wood’s self-portraits and Thomas de Kluyver’s masks for Simone Rocha Spring 2024, Jean Paul Gaultier x Simone Rocha Spring 2024 Haute Couture, and Gucci’s Fall 2019 shows.
The exhibition also did a deep dive into makeup with a section dedicated to Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty line. This museum’s permanent collection of Belgian and international fashion archives was another highlight, with pieces rotating every three months.
It would have been remiss of me to have gone all the way to Antwerp and not check out the Dries van Noten flagship store, which was directly across the street from this museum.
You can book your visit here.
Plantin-Moretus
This was the final stop where I saw the Ensor’s State of Imagination exhibition, which was more of a showcase focused on James Ensor’s printmaking techniques.
Beyond the exhibitions, I found myself enchanted by Antwerp and will definitely be returning to explore the city at my own pace. The city is largely bike-friendly, with more bike lanes than I’ve seen elsewhere. It did get a brief chance to explore, seeing its quieter neighbourhoods filled with unique shops, stylish locals and hearing only the hum of bike bells was refreshing. Yet, Antwerp also boasts a lively center and an array of major stores—both worlds harmoniously coexisting.
You can book your visit here.
All of these exhibitions run until January 19, 2025.
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