Thieu Kessels is a filmmaker and artist working across film and photography. He studied at the European Film College and KASK & Conservatorium in Ghent, where he completed both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. His work is often rooted in specific places, and the people and stories connected to them.

Moving between documentary, commercial work and artistic photography, Kessels combines recognizable realities with subtle absurdity. His practice can be described as a form of realist absurdism, where familiar situations are transformed through unexpected perspectives and visual interventions.

In his photography, he works with both found and self-produced images, often taking them out of context or pushing them towards abstraction through techniques such as multiple exposure. Across his diverse practice, Kessels maintains a consistent interest in the tension between reality and the absurd.