“If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his (her) vision wherever it takes him (her). We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.” – John F. Kennedy

The Journey:

My journey in life has been unconventional. With sheer determination to use my natural abilities, I jumped over many barriers to learn and grow. It became a triptych in its own right with a story of human development on three continents. 

Because of my previous background in the creative sector, I researched how Brussels was doing in that area when I arrived 5 years ago. I started with writing/journalism. By a stroke of fate I had the opportunity to do my first exhibit with a collection of work created in New York. Different pieces that have their own story and represented my transition from working on paper to putting thoughts and feelings that could not be expressed with words on canvas. Inspired by music and events that touched the core of my being. My triptych Hommage Willem de Kooning is one example. This work got me an invitation for the International Women’s Day group exhibit at the Mid-Hudson Heritage Center in Poughkeepsie, NY.

When I entered an open call for artists living in the Brussels, I was selected  to participate in the Carte de Visite group exhibition. I used this opportunity to introduce the Black, White & Veins concept to the public because it is of social significance. 

Designing something for a specific purpose has limits, but abstract expressionism which I became very passionate about while studying at the fashion Academy Vogue in Amsterdam, gives me the freedom to use all that is inherently me, using shapes, colors, forms and gestures to create something that is not an exact depiction of reality, but something to touch the mind. It comes natural and the outcome in my work is most of the time unintended: a symphony on canvas.

When I acquainted myself with the software that became standard in the apparel/design industry, I started developing a library of Prints and Patterns that could be used for a variety of consumer goods/lifestyle products. The intent of my business was to offer my services and collaborate with others in the industry like I had done before. But the changes in the American economy made it impossible for an individual small business to compete against conglomerates. 

The Covid-lockdown which brought the economy to a screeching halt and prematurely ended my last interim assignment was a wake-up call to shift gears. With prior accounts payable experience, I instinctively decided to learn about SAP S/4HANA  finance and accounting. In the middle of this program I discovered openSAP, and the free courses taught me a lot about the new technologies. As the saying goes, when one door closes another one opens.  I didn’t get a Return on investment (ROI) in America but what I started back then are today’s digital assets. 

I am ready to pick up where I left and continue my journey in the creative sector, expand my library, keep creating symphonies on canvas and find my niche in the digital economy.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe called Architecture frozen music, and I call painting a song without words.

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A Blast from the Past

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When Koos van den Akker, who was known for his one of a kind wearable art pieces, gave me the opportunity to show what I was capable of doing. It came natural, I just went to the scrap fabric bin and used material that would normally end up as useless trash and created my own brand of patchwork sweaters. These creations for Koos were an instant success with his Madison Avenue and entertainment industry clients.

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