BIOGRAPHY

I started painting professionally in 2020 at the age of 47, at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. My three sons, of which twins, were becoming increasingly independent. At that time, I had been taking painting classes on and off at the academy since 2010. At home, I had already painted several acrylic portraits of my children in indigo blue, which consisted of copying photographs. However, I started feeling the need to create an imaginary world inspired by elements from my surroundings. I was reading a book about the life of Paul Delvaux, and I was captivated by his imagination. The pandemic was an opportunity to stop taking classes and start working on my own. I took time to reflect on what I wanted to paint: an imaginary world composed of elements from my environment, combined in a collage-like way, creating improbable connections. To this, I wanted to add a reflection on the way we live in our society.

Before dedicating myself to painting, my path was more conventional. I pursued studies that, unknowingly, didn’t truly suit me – Applied Economics at UCL University of Louvain-la-Neuve followed by a specialization in Financial and Fiscal Sciences at UFSIA University of Antwerp. I worked consequently in telecommunications, consultancy, and real estate. I never truly felt comfortable, but I thought that was normal in the corporate world. My full-time job, combined with a husband who worked intensely and the education of three children, wasn’t easy. Eventually I stopped working and focused on raising them. In the end, it was like a job in itself without being paid. Despite this significant drawback, it was a beautiful period in my life. Dedicating myself fully to nurturing my children awareness of the world and teaching them to respect life brought me immense joy.

That said, my perspective on the world wasn’t shaped solely by this experience. I have always felt a deep sense of kindness toward life, a sense of wonder at living things, the beauty of the world, and a sensitivity that set me apart from others. I have always been driven by a desire to create connections – between humans, nature, and animals – and to seek meaning in everything.

Ultimately, I think my connection to art goes back much further than 2010. As a child, drawing gave me a sense of inner peace, much like what I found in nature. I vividly remember one day in kindergarten, at about five years old, when we were asked to represent love in a drawing. I drew a tall man wrapping his large arms around a small woman. To my surprise, the drawing was highly praised, and my teacher congratulated me in front of the class. That moment still resonates with me. The wonder in my classmates’ eyes felt magical.

In 2020, I set up my studio at home in our attic and began painting An Afternoon in 2050 (oil on canvas, 100 x 120 cm). This work depicts a family scene around a table with children, birds, cats, plants, and architectural elements from my home. I wanted to paint the things around me that I loved and found beautiful. In this painting, I aimed to convey a message of hope, a harmonious connection between living beings. I created a mix of everything – the architectural elements of our home, children, animals, and plants – to compose an imaginary world that felt beautiful to me.

After completing my first oil painting of a composition and feeling unsure of its quality, I dared to participate in the Prize Louise Dehem 2021 competition, where I was awarded an honorable mention. This motivated me to continue. I went on to participate in several notable exhibitions and competitions, including the Ronze Drawing Prize 2021, Gaverprijs 2022, Open M in Leuven 2022, Burning Down the House in Kunstmuseum St. Gallen in Switzerland 2024, and three solo exhibitions: two with Paul Poelmans ‘gallery CAPS in 2023 and 2024 and one In 2025 in Galerie Welnis organized by Department of Culture & Heritage of Koksijde municipality.

My work is influenced by the symbolic depth and detail of Flemish Primitives as well as modern painters like Paul Delvaux. I’m also Influenced by the narrative works of Paula Rego and Henri Rousseau (Le Douanier) ’s naïve compositions. If I were to define my style, I would say it is figurative with a touch of surrealism.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, my artistic journey is deeply rooted in childhood memories that continue to inspire my work today. I think of my grandmother, who lived by the sea in Nieuwpoort. She adored literature and Willow porcelain, which features in some of my paintings. Her large, cluttered home with a large garden and a small cottage was a magical place where I spent many summers. Another element that deeply impacted me at my home in Hévillers was the vinyl record The Little Prince by Saint-Exupéry, narrated by Gérard Philipe. The story, particularly the Fox’s plea to the Little Prince to “tame” him (to become friends), profoundly shaped my imagination. At six, I would lie on the floor listening to it every day during lunch breaks. The idea of forging deep connections between humans and animals felt magical to me.

At that time, we had many cats and kittens, and I spent hours playing nurse to them. We also had a tamed jackdaw, Milou, who was free to come and go in our home. When calling his name, he would fly to perch on our shoulders. Wasn’t that magical? When we traveled to the seaside by car, Milou and our cats joined us in the vehicle – a truly unforgettable experience. My childhood was also marked by our wild garden along a tiny river, La Houssière, with large trees, where I spent countless hours. All these memories of nature, wonder, and poetry, combined with deep connections to animals, continue to feed my artistic vision and work.

I love drawing as much as painting. Over the years, my compositions were mainly created by combining photo fragments, a kind of collage that I built in my mind or sketched with a pencil. I work with various mediums, including oil paint, colored pencils and graphite.

Through my art, I celebrate life, explore the connections between humans, animals, and nature, and seek meaning in the beauty of the world around us.

In addition to painting, I’ve also taken up sewing and volunteer. Reaching out to others, sharing a smile, and building connections are essential for my balance, as working in the studio.