Seppe De Roo (°1994) is a Belgian multidisciplinary visual artist based in Brussels. He holds a master’s degree of painting from the Royal Academy of Antwerp. As a painter, he finds his inspiration in Carl G. Jung's theory of the collective unconscious. 

From this collective of archetypical stories born in every human being, he lets images come to him through dreams and vision-like experiences. These figures can be mythological, or they can be mysterious geometric shapes such as found in Hieronymus Bosch’s phantasmic landscapes.

After putting these figures together into a composition using 3D modelling software, the artist then meticulously paints the composed image using classical technique and means. Only by taking long stretches of tactile time, do the paintings get infused with their timelessness quality.

The monumental format of these paintings is another way to ensure the attention span needed to become vital and tangible portals to a realm of mythical subconscious. 

This series, called ’the Ascetics’, seem to be bathing in a dignified, yet soft calmness.

A featureless protagonist appears as a stand-in for everyone. Standing in a timeless space, this figure is there to question our own inner prophets, believers, rebels, and tyrants. 

To reflect on our most powerful human capacity: the power of our belief. This power of belief comes from the stories that make up our being and that we use to shape and understand the world around us. How can we trust our dreams and visions again?

How can these ancient archetypes help us understand what is important in our lives?
How can these visions bring us to a deeper understanding of our shared human nature?