Hugo Roelandt

Hugo Roelandt created an extensive series of self-portraits in which he dressed in women’s clothes, striking assured and seductive poses. These works reflect the experimental spirit of ‘70s cultural icons such as David Bowie and director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, who intertwined gender expression with their art. Crucially, the series is deeply connected to the tradition of the Voil Jeanetten at the Aalst Carnival, an event Roelandt participated in faithfully in almost every year of his life. On the festival’s final day, men parade through the streets dressed flamboyantly as women, donning fur coats, pushing baby carriages or even wearing lampshades as headgear. Rooted in the ritual reversals of carnival, this tradition aims to disrupt societal norms by embracing opposing roles and subverting the established social order. Roelandt’s Self-Portraits in Drag are some of his formative works, highlighting the interaction between performance and photography.