Jakub Gessler captures the heart and humour of human-animal relationships

Smiles as full as the sun beam out of a backdrop of blue sky and soft clouds. Each human clutches their pet animal, its eyes beading into the lens. Encased in an oval frame and cloaked in nostalgic lighting, these are just a handful of images from Jakub Gessler’s collection of around 160 “family portraits”. Inspired by traditional Renaissance paintings and family archives from the 80s – Christmas cards, yearbooks, and so on – these images offer an endearing and playful tribute to human-animal bonds.

The project began during the Covid-19 lockdown with a simple pursuit: “I wanted to take a picture of me and my cat,” says Jakub. This soon expanded to include friends, and then friends-of-friends too. Before long, the project took on a life of its own. “If people messaged me on Instagram asking if they can have their image with their pet, I always said yes,” says Jakub. He never charged for the images, but instead encouraged participants to donate what they could to a charity of their choice.

Jakub’s approach to shooting was simple and formulaic. All 160 portraits were taken in the same East London studio, using the same lighting, background, and pose for consistency. This wasn’t always easy; he recalls one memorable shoot where a four-month-old kitten jumped up onto the paper backdrop and ripped the entire sky down from the ceiling.

While the premise of Family Portrait is heartfelt, there is an element of humour to these overly stylised images too. “The idea was to take images that celebrate the special relationship we have with our pets, and how important they are to us – especially in Covid times when a lot of us were very lonely,” says Jakub. “But there is a big pinch of self-irony, of having a slightly too smiley image in front of a happy cloud background on a sunny day. Everything is a bit too much.”

In a world often marked by minimalism and cool detachment, Jakub’s intentional sentimentality, and genuine affection, stands out. “I can’t really single out an image – they’re all so special to me and I enjoyed every single encounter,” he says. Through this project, he aims to offer a moment of joy to those who view the portraits. “I hope to put a smile on people’s faces. Brighten up their day for a brief moment before they go back to their routine.”