Jelle Havermans (1994) is a Dutch author and artist currently living in Amsterdam. His first novel Portret van de zomer was published by Blossom Books in 2022. For his BA, he studied at the Breitner Academy. In 2021, he graduated Cum Laude at the Master of Fine Art: Lens-Based programme at the Piet Zwart Institute.

Films & photography In his current work he reflects on film and it’s role in history. Central themes in his artistic practice are the depiction of violence and (true) crime, cinematic language and the aesthetics of forensic imagery. By mingling fiction with documentary-style investigation, he explores his own obsessions and desires, which are mainly rooted in horror, true crime and the occult.

Through photography and moving images he comments and reflects on the way our perception of violence, death and history are shaped through lenses. He likes to deconstruct cinematic structures in order to understand them in a societal context. An important element in Jelle’s artistic process is the physicality of imagery. He’s interested in the nature of photographs; how aesthetics and the physical form in which an image is presented can evoke a certain feeling. Appropriation is an important aspect to his work: Jelle often combines his own images with archival material and forensic photographs. The main goal of his work is to create engaging narratives that are thought-provoking and reflect my personal fascinations.

Writing Besides my work as an experimental image maker, Jelle is active as (fiction) author. His first novel ‘Portret Van De Zomer’ (in Dutch) was published by Blossom Books as a paperback, ebook and audio book in July 2022. His non fiction articles were published in large Dutch newspapers and magazines like De Volkskrant, Het Parool and One World. With his writing he expresses his viewpoints on topics such as media, film and emancipation.