About

Originally from Belgium and trained as an architect, I spent 22 years in Lebanon and came back to the UK in 2015. I now live and work in the Milland valley, West Sussex, in the South Downs National Park.

Pottery/ceramics
I started learning pottery at Nathalie Khayat’s Studio in Beirut in 2006. Beautiful friendships and memories, raku-firing in the mountain surrounded by olive, fig and pomegranate trees, wild flowers and migrating birds, overlooking the Mediterranean sea.

My studio in the UK is at home, surrounded by forests, trees, ferns and wild flowers and where the ground is made of clay.

Most of my ceramics are hand-built and burnished several times. This leaves a very tactile and smooth finish, and a feeling that part of me/my energy is transferred into each piece.  After bisque firing, the pieces are smoke-fired overnight in sawdust and other natural materials, leaving imprints of wild plants. They are then polished with a special protective wax. Each piece is unique, tactile, retaining the patina and scent of wood smoke and has a strong connection with nature.

Some of my pieces are raku-fired, I enjoy the surprising and unique results from both firing techniques.

Photography

My professional background in architecture and interest in photography brought me to photograph the rich and eclectic architecture of Beirut, its ever-changing urban landscape, contrasts and various identities as well as scenes of everyday life. I have also documented Lebanon's rich flora with its wild flowers, indigenous plants and trees. My macro lens is my favorite tool for photographing/observing nature in its smallest and most abstract form. 

In Lebanon, I was commissioned to photograph various completed projects by architects, landscape architects and artists focusing on capturing identity and sense of place.