Peas, Pod

In January 2026, Gladstone presented new and recent works by Brussels-based mixed-media artist Kasper Bosmans, marking his inaugural solo exhibition in Seoul. The presentation featured a selection of paintings, sculptures, and murals that explore themes of identity and expression through a contemporary queer lens. Bosmans’ experimental bronze-casting practice and painting style culminate in works that investigate anatomical form and malleability.

The expansive vinyl form on the gallery’s façade personifies the porous nature of identity through a pictorial bean motif that recurs throughout the presented works. Inspired by Brazilian queer artist José Leonilson's multicolored painting Untitled (1985), Bosmans’ bean imagery serves as a theoretical metaphor for hope, growth, and regeneration. This neutral vessel reflects the collaging nature of Bosmans’ work and the layered experience that lends itself to a unified story and culture, specifically drawing upon personal connections to queer families and romantic relationships. Bosmans describes Peas, Pod as a “queer investigation of purpose” and an exploration of his place in art history.

Rooted in tradition, a series of multi-colored paintings subscribe to the time-honored Belgian artistic practice of drawing in silverpoint and applying paint to oak. Bosmans utilizes the style to feature embedded cameos of iconic works by Keith Haring and Jasper Johns, united by the central bean motif and recurring theme of self-expression. Additionally, a selection of legend paintings exploring concepts including folk art and underrepresented voices guide the viewer through the exhibition’s multiple levels and various mediums.

Bosmans has honed the technique of hand-patinating bronze over the past ten years, resulting in boundary-pushing works that explore physical gesture and the material’s time-sensitive qualities. Among them are multiple bronze sculptures shaped into bridge formations, comprising two wooden pedestals and a patinated bronze piece atop.