About the Author
René van Gysel is a Belgian photographer, born in 1969, and living in the charming tourist town of Lier since the early 1990s. If there is one word that truly defines him, it is probably playfulness.
That playful spirit already showed itself when he was a child. While other kids carefully arranged their Lego and Playmobil figures “the right way,” René preferred giving them unexpected roles, strange adventures and slightly absurd situations — usually to the horror of the children around him. “Put that little man back properly!” was something he heard more than once.
His natural tendency to question rules and authority made his student years… eventful. School results suffered, conflicts with teachers and principals were never far away, and even during military service he managed to turn his gas mask into part of a comedy act.
Today, René works as a purchasing assistant for a wholesale company, where colleagues know him as the person who tackles chaos, stress and crises with humour rather than panic.
For decades, he has balanced an ordinary office job with a collection of far less ordinary passions: radio presenter, military reservist, airsoft enthusiast and, more recently, miniature photography. Through Minimani, he combines humour, imagination and a slightly rebellious way of looking at the world.
All the elements that define his personality can also be found in his photography: chaos, bold colours, absurdity, creativity, loudness and far-fetched ideas. His miniature worlds are playful, sometimes chaotic, often unexpected — but always created with the curiosity of someone who never really stopped being a child.
Because growing older does not necessarily mean growing serious.