Who am I?
Ten years ago, I started painting almost by chance, as part of an art therapy approach.
I had a surplus of emotions trapped inside me that I couldn't release through writing alone. So I started painting, out of curiosity, out of necessity, with a physical approach to emotion that I had never been taught before. I discovered new faces to my sadness, my depression, my anger. My joy, too, the serenity and relief that emerged from these free creative sessions.
The practice of abstraction allowed me to connect with my emotions on a deep level, without thinking, without controlling, unlike what I had become accustomed to very early in my life. Always pursued by the fear that it would be "too much." That I would be "too much."
To these therapeutic moments was gradually added a sincere pleasure in the gesture, the movement, and the surprise of the mixture of colors and informal shapes.
Painting on wood
I quickly became frustrated with the canvas support, as it was too flexible for my liking.
I discovered painting on wood, which is perfect for my palette knife technique, my dynamic, sometimes violent movements.
Through my explorations, I discovered a true passion for the art of painting, for the technical mastery it demands, while offering infinite creative freedom.
The therapeutic benefits of my practice only progressed as I learned to explore my inner self beyond words, beyond language. I reinvented a way of being with myself, and I discovered that I could transform my uncomfortable emotional states into true beauty.
With joy, I also discovered that my emotions, deposited on the canvas (or rather on the wood), were transmitted to others, could move, disturb, and sometimes even bring tears.
My rawest honesty has been the most liberating, and with each painting, I hope that this sincerity will reach a soul and, perhaps, help it free itself from something that has been imprisoned for too long.
Ink painting
Halfway between painting and drawing, ink opened a new door for me, a simpler, lighter expression of my emotions such as joy, serenity, and wonder.
I often practice it in the morning, upon waking, facing the rising sun.
Whether it's oil or ink painting, or writing, all my artistic practices are a deeply liberating experience for me. I learned very early on to be silent, to hide, and I paid the price for it in my adolescence and early adulthood, and today I suffer from chronic depression.
For me, creating is not an "escape," or even a getaway, an adventure to a dreamed-of elsewhere. Creating is a necessity, an act of self-love, and kindness, even... and especially when the emotion I express is despair or anger.
Art has opened doors within me that I had resolutely condemned, and has allowed me a reconciliation with myself that I would never have imagined possible at one time.
With hope that my art brings you what you may have needed,
Thank you.
