'Aaron'.
Ben Gijsemans is a Belgian freelance animator, illustrator and comic artist. He gained praise with his groundbreaking graphic novels 'Hubert' (2014) and 'Aaron' (2020); both delicate portraits of characters with deep, inner struggles who take refuge in escapism to make their lives manageable. For the coming-of-age story 'De Kerkgangers' (2022) and its follow-up De Tooghangers' (2023), the artist used autobiographical elements as inspiration. In 2025, his work in animation and comics connected with the release of the graphic novel 'De Naamloze Vogel' and the animated short 'The Bird With No Name'.
Early life
Ben Gijsemans was born in 1989 in Lier. Unlike most graphic novelists, his background is not rooted in comics culture. Instead, he gets most of his inspiration from paintings, films, literature and fine arts, resulting in his highly original approach to the comics medium. In terms of graphic art and visual storytelling, Winsor McCay, Joost Swarte and Charlie Chaplin are important influences. Gijsemans also enjoys the works of the graphic novelists Chris Ware, Olivier Schrauwen, Simon Hanselmann, Brecht Evens, Jeroen Janssen and Cyril Pedrosa. He obtained his Master's degree in Audiovisual Arts from the Ghent School of Arts in 2012. He then spent another year at the Sint-Lukas School of Arts in Brussels, receiving his Master in Comic Art in 2013.
'Hubert'.
Hubert
Gijsemans' graduation project were the first three chapters of his debut graphic novel, 'Hubert' (Oogachtend, 2014). Hubert is an introverted, middle-aged man, who finds it difficult to settle in his hometown Brussels. His limited social contacts are clumsy and painful. Light in his life is his weekly visit to the Art Museum, where he submerges himself in the beauty of the female figure. Gijsemans' use of repetitive panels uncover the monotonous rhythm of Hubert's life. In this debut, the author reveals his great sense for the complexities of human behavior, which he portrays with meticulous care. 'Hubert' has been translated into German, French and English, and was the subject of an exhibition in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels.
'Hubert'.
Aaron
It took Ben Gijsemans six years to complete his next graphic novel, 'Aaron' (Oogachtend, 2020). Aaron is a twenty-year old student, who spends the summer at home to prepare his re-examinations. But instead of studying, he is struggling with precarious sexual desires. Gijsemans illustrates Aaron's fear for his pedophile feelings with great subtlety and nuance. Using very little dialogue and a strict lay-out of twelve panels per page, the author offers an almost claustrophobic character study, which leaves much to the reader's own interpretation.
Superhero pastiche from 'Aaron'.
The character's refuge in comic books, lightweight pastiches of classic American superhero comics, offer a charming counterbalance to the otherwise heavy subject matter. Despite its controversial theme, 'Aaron' was widely praised for its literary qualities. In interviews, the author underlined that his book is not about paedophilia, but about a person who is trapped between his own inner struggles and the perception of others. He suffers from an addiction with no cure. Aaron "discovers what he denies, and denies what he discovers," as the book's liner notes say.
'De Kerkgangers' (2022).
De Kerkgangers/De Tooghangers
Coming-of-age was the theme of Ben Gijsemans' next graphic novel, 'De Kerkgangers' (Oogachtend, 2022). Set during the summer holiday season of 1994, the main character is the fourteen-year-old altar boy Carl, who is easily distracted. In his path to puberty, he has as his role model his older brother Harold, and as his hero his headstrong friend Peter, who is from a deprived social background. Due to an unusual discovery in an abandoned cottage, the connection between the three boys comes under strain. This time using a more schematic graphic style, Gijsemans again delivered a subtle character-driven story, for which he used autobiographical elements from his own childhood. In 2023, Gijsemans already released the follow-up 'De Tooghangers', depicting a turbulent conversation between an adult Carl and Peter in a bar. While Carl tries to sell his book-fuelled knowledge to bartender Peter, the latter sticks to his own philosophy of life. When a third person speaks up, tempers flare, and Carl runs into the shaky walls of his own faith.
'De Naamloze Vogel' (2025).
De Naamloze Vogel
In his book 'De Naamloze Vogel' (Oogachtend, 2025), Gijsemans again experimented with a different style and format. Presented as a landscape-format picture book, the story presents the poetic journey of an adult who rediscovers his childlike sense of wonder. The main character is a famous ornithologist, firmly attached to the certainties of life. While he believes that everything is classifiable and has a strong reliance on his extensive library, he suddenly spots a bird he doesn't know yet. As his world is shaken upside down, the ornithologist is challenged to look at life with fresh eyes.
Other work
In addition to his graphic novels, Gijsemans has worked as a freelance animator and illustrator. His artwork has appeared in newspaper De Standaard and on LP records like the Isle of Men's 'Voluntary Blindness' (2015). During his studies in Ghent, he made the slapstick animation short 'Coppers' (2012), made out of various shots of 18 different Buster Keaton films. Simultaneous with his 2025 graphic novel 'De Naamloze Vogel', Gijsemans released an animated short with the same story, 'The Bird With No Name'.
Self-portrait of Ben Gijsemans (right) with his character Hubert.