Bobbi Essers
My works are an ode to my friends.
Bobbi Essers (2000, Netherlands) creates paintings that capture intimate moments among close friends. Her large canvases focus on intertwined bodies - overlapping arms, fabrics, and gestures - shown without identifying facial features. By removing the heads, Essers shifts the viewer’s attention to touch, texture, and closeness. Clothing, skin, and small details are painted with great precision, preserving the memories attached to them. These works feel like snapshots of friendship made permanent. They spark curiosity in the viewer, offering a glimpse into private worlds filled with trust, comfort, and connection.
Essers’ practice is rooted in storytelling and the belief that friendships shape who we are. Using her own photo archive as source material, she combines multiple images into single compositions, mimicking the way memories blend together over time. Her work challenges traditional ideas about gender and sexuality by showing that these identities cannot be pinned to one look or role. Born into a generation shaped by social media, Essers turns away from curated perfection and instead highlights authenticity and the joy of simply being together. Through her art, she celebrates connection, authenticity and the magic found in everyday life.
