Jan van Esch is a Dutch born multi-media artist,  and educator whose practice spans drawing, performance and social engagement. With a background in social and health sciences and international development aid, Jan’s work questions processes of ‘giving,’ delving into the subliminal psychological motives and power dynamics between giver and receiver. He focuses on how the Western world deals with (re)used clothing. Jan’s most recent work subverts notions of the textile donations and its messaging through performance, installation, and drawing solo and in collaborative projects.

Photo: Jimmy Mathis

Jan van Esch in studio

During his IASPIS residency he will continue his work and research on textile waste. He wants to use abandoned fabrics as a protagonist to create the emergence of knowledge through direct experience. His interest lies in forms of understanding trough physical understanding and observation that cannot easily be accessed or downloaded. Attention, making, and shared observation are central. He will invite participants not as recipients of knowledge, but as co-developers of new ways of learning through material engagement.

Jan van Esch studied at Toneelacademie / drama school (Maastricht) and holds a MA in Anthropology from Radboud University and a MsC in Public Health from Harvard University. Following a career in international development aid in Russia, Nigeria, and Tanzania, Jan served as the managing director of Nafasi Art Space in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Since 2010 he is full time involved in the arts. His socially engaged art has fostered collaborations with institutions such as ZK/U Berlin, the Alliance Française, and McGill University in Montreal, bridging art and science. 2026 residency and exhibitions BUT I DRINK CHAMPAGNE NOW, Rangi Gallery, Dar es Salaam, TZ, 2026 YOU WERE MY CUP OF TEA, Alliance Française, Dar es Salaam, TZ, 2025 NENO kutoka kwa, Alliance Française, Dar es Salaam, TZ, 2025 Mondriaan funded Residency,  Het Wilde Weten, Rotterdam. NL, 2025 Aflaat/Indulgence, Desautels Faculty McGill University, Montreal, CA, 2024 Fast Fashion? No Bueno! Podcast launch performance, OSCAM, Amsterdam, NL, 2024 Kostuumdrama, ShiftTalk 2023, Huis 73, Den Bosch, NL, 2023 residency and exhibition MITUMBA invasive species, GUS gallery, Stellenbosch, SA (solo)

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@janvanesch.bsky.social