I think one of the most humbling experiences one can live is to learn a trade from a different culture, even more so from someone who has no formal education.
Making of a Bogolan Cloth
The Conquest of Paradise
My art is always social. I strongly believe that art is one of the most powerful instruments to address social and political issues and that it should be used as a civic instrument. The aesthetics are important for the human eye but it’s the message that stays with people.
Cooking with FriBoy – Halloween Cheese Cookies
Cooking has been one of my favorite activities with FriBoy since he was a baby. I’d carry him in the baby sling while I cooked and when he was old enough he became more involved in our kitchen activities, usually making a mess.
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Vacation storybook
Creating a vacation storybook helps develop the superpower of creating and using visuals in all aspects of life.
Rhino Star – The Museum of Natural History
As much as I love art, I wish I could say the coolest museum in Fribourg is the Art and History one, but it’s actually not. The Natural History Museum is the cultural institution by far the most alive and in tune with its public, especially the young public. Which is rather ironic for a place exhibiting dead animals but this means it is a real dynamic learning hub.
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Handmade Stuffed Toy
Making his own stuffed toys is a great way to teach a boy about engineering, design, planning and sequencing, problem solving, the value of one’s own effort, while developing creativity and patience…even if this means putting a needle in his hands.
Artsy Wednesdays – Woodcut Dragonfly
We did this project upon FriBoy’s request. He drew a dragonfly and asked FriDad to help him cut it in wood.
My Grandmother
The portrait of my maternal grandmother and the 3rd painting in my Inspiring Women series was the most difficult one to paint. She was younger here than when I knew her, this is why I found it so hard to capture her soulful and gentle of her face. But I had to do it because I am so grateful to her for teaching me to be human and giving me hope in humanity in spite of the difficult times and place where I was brought up.
Frida Kahlo’s Portrait
This is my second portrait in the Inspiring Women series, after Misuzu Kaneko. I painted her because she is the best example that the only way to be authentic is to be yourself. It is actually her diary that inspired me to create her portrait and not her art.
Misuzu Kaneko’s Portrait
Ever since FriBoy was born, I’ve been wondering how much of my own culture to let him appropriate, should he be more Romanian or Swiss or European since he spends a lot of time in Spain or the Netherlands. Then I decided to teach him to be human above all and let him chose what and how much he wants to appropriate of the rest.