Jan Boex

This Vain Journey

2026

Five small drawings, each about 12 × 10 cm, placed in the middle of a 34 × 26 cm sheet. They start from photographs Jan Boex took at different moments in his life: a street lamp in a garden, a canal at night, the path along a cemetery he walked by day and by night, an evening road, a low sun.

The white of the paper is left untouched and works as the mount. What remains is a small window onto a place that was once ordinary, seen from a distance.

  1. A street lamp lighting a garden path at night, a small drawing in the middle of a white sheet.A street lamp lighting a garden path at night, a small drawing in the middle of a white sheet.

    This Vain Journey I, 2026

  2. A canal at night with reflected street lights, a small drawing in the middle of a white sheet.A canal at night with reflected street lights, a small drawing in the middle of a white sheet.

    This Vain Journey II, 2026

  3. A lit path along a fence at night under a single lamp, a small drawing in the middle of a white sheet.A lit path along a fence at night under a single lamp, a small drawing in the middle of a white sheet.

    This Vain Journey III, 2026

  4. A road curving into a valley under an evening sky, a small drawing in the middle of a white sheet.A road curving into a valley under an evening sky, a small drawing in the middle of a white sheet.

    This Vain Journey IV, 2026

  5. A low sun behind a bank of grey cloud, a small drawing in the middle of a white sheet.A low sun behind a bank of grey cloud, a small drawing in the middle of a white sheet.

    This Vain Journey V, 2026