About
The Transformation Gallery
Established in 2024 and named after The Transformation Book by Fernando Pessoa is a contemporary art gallery with a focus on experimental research based art. We are interested in working with emerging and mid career artists and curators with the aim of exploring the boundaries of contemporary art.
Jeroen van Dooren
Originating from the Netherlands and now living and working in London, my journey has been one of continual evolution—artist, researcher, educator, COO, event manager and gallerist. Central to this journey is an enduring fascination with the artist identity, a theme that I rigorously explored through my academic tenure at the Royal College of Art, culminating in a PhD in Practice-Based Art and Humanities with a focus on Performance. This scholarly pursuit, alongside my MA in Printmaking, has profoundly shaped my conceptual framework and artistic practice.
My work is a dialogue with the literary concept of heteronyms, a term coined by Fernando Pessoa, an exploration that delves into the complexities of selfhood and narrative identity. It's a personal and professional inquiry, inspired by my own experiences with mental health and the nuanced layers of personal identity. This exploration challenges the conventional boundaries of artist identity, blurring the lines between creator and creation, reality and fiction, to question and redefine our perceptions of self and other.
As an educator, I have had the privilege of nurturing the next generation of creative minds across various institutions, fostering an environment of critical inquiry and innovation. My roles have spanned from guiding students at the Royal College of Art London in Critical Historical Studies, supervising students in fine art and graphic design at Leeds Arts University to Unit Leader at London College of Communication, which is part of the University of Arts London, in contemporary media cultures, each position enriching my practice and expanding my engagement with the art community.
In this complex interplay of roles, my art becomes a medium for questioning and reimagining the constructs of identity. It's an invitation to the viewer to partake in a narrative exploration, where each piece serves as a fragment of a broader dialogue about the essence of creation and its impact on our understanding of selfhood. Here, in the realm of heteronyms and alternate selves, art transcends mere reflection, becoming a transformative force that challenges us to reconsider the boundaries of identity and the narratives we construct about who we are.
Through my practice, I aim to create a space where art is not only a mirror to our reality but also a catalyst for redefining it, urging us to explore the myriad possibilities of who we can be.