This work is part of Jan Fabre’s Ilad of the Bic-Art series, a body of work initiated in 1980 in which the artist explores the use of the blue ballpoint pen as both medium and concept. Combining an offset-printed photographic selfportrait with hand-applied Bic ink, the work reflects Fabre’s sustained interest in repetition, duration, and the transformation of everyday materials.

In this self-portrait, the printed image serves as a base that is subsequently altered through dense, manual mark-making. The layering of ink partially obscures and redefines the photographic surface, positioning the image between mechanical reproduction and individual gesture. This interplay is central to Fabre’s practice, in which drawing becomes a record of time and physical engagement.

The title Ilad of the Bic-Art refers to an ongoing conceptual framework rather than a single narrative, evoking ideas of endurance and accumulation. Within this context, the act of drawing with a simple ballpoint pen is elevated into a rigorous, almost performative process.