Caja Boogers’ paintings generally focus on altering viewers’ perceptions. To do so, he uses painting conventions such as the usage of perspective, diptychs and repetition, and forces a connection between these formal elements and the painted subject. He believes that all of these elements are inextricably connected to the viewers experience. His work is often characterised by layers and scratches, as well as little imperfections on the surface, and can vary from photorealistic paintings to monochrome abstractions.

Because of his uniform way of presenting, Boogers ultimately creates a connection between the work and the space. This spatial quality takes the emphasis off the singular image, and forces you as a viewer to look at the work as a whole. His craftsmanship enables him to present the image in a manner that prompts viewers to question what they are seeing— if it’s even a painting— reminiscent of trompe l’oeil techniques.

His Partition-series best exemplify this dynamic form, as the works are essentially abstract diptychs with no particular representation. Still, the painted light along with the door-shaped frame, as well as the separating line in between the two canvases evoke the association of elevator doors. However, unlike trompe l’oeil, Boogers does not create an illusion. Instead, he dissects the concept of these doors, presenting nothing but diptych monochromes.

The artist’s current practice revolves around old analogue pictures from personal family albums, as well as public archives, which he references within his paintings. The images display settings of daily life in the former Dutch East Indies. Boogers’ interest for these albums originates from the conversations he had with his grandparents, wherein they had shared stories of how their lives were back then. This isn’t very usual, as a lot of Indo-European families keep these stories to themselves, and are therefore prevented from being passed on to the next generation. His latest work Retelling (2024) combines a painterly urge to comprehend an image through repetitive painting with a deep personal nostalgia that persists within the Indo-Dutch community. It’s a collective sentiment over a bygone era, or even a non-existent era, that’s ultimately embedded in the artist’s upbringing.