The Paintings

Inna

Oil on canvas and cotton yarn, 80 cm diameter
Inspired by the words of Inna Ivanova (Bulgaria):

“Жълт минзухар от планината, пламък под снежните преспи.”

“A yellow mountain crocus, a flame under the snowdrifts.”

Belonging to a private collection



Maria

Oil on canvas, 120 x 120 cm
Inspired by the words of Maria Alex (Ecuador):

“En Sudamérica existe un lugar con dones especiales, donde todas las estaciones suceden en un instante. Es como un carrusel lleno de colores por sus diversas costumbres, los paisajes de sus regiones y sus creencias que llenan el alma. Mi país tiene momentos inequívocos que rompen la utopía de soñar en lugares pequeños, porque Ecuador está en la Mitad del Mundo.”
“In South America, there is a place with special gifts, where all the seasons happen in an instant. It is like a carousel full of colors—of diverse customs, landscapes, and soul-filling beliefs. My country has unmistakable moments that break the utopia of dreaming in small places, because Ecuador is at the center of the world.”




Madalena

Oil on canvas, 89 x 116 cm
Inspired by the words of Madalena Caetano (Portugal):

“Que amor é este que me faz ir e voltar, Lisboa?”

“What is this love that makes me come and go, Lisbon?”



Carl

Oil on canvas, 130 x 162 cm
Inspired by the words of Carl Chalhoub (Egypt)

“ديدج لبقتسمل ديعب”

“Far away, for a new future.”



Maxime

Oil on canvas, 89 x 1426cm
Inspired by the words of
Maxime Bertrand (Quebec):

“Pour moi, la maison, c’est plus des gens que des endroits parce que j’ai toujours l’impression de bouger beaucoup. Donc quand je les retrouve [mes gens], je me sens chez moi, je me sens confortable, puis pas tout à fait seul. C’est chaleureux, ça fait du bien, puis dernièrement j’ai trouvé qu’y’avait un endroit, qui est là où l’on a grandi, toute ma famille, qui est un truc qu’on a en commun ensemble. Un endroit qui nous rassemble, depuis toujours. Puis ce qui me fait sentir à la maison là-bas, c’est le vent, le lac, les arbres, les animaux, la nature. Ce sont des choses que j’arrive à trouver un peu partout, en voyageant, et qui arrivent à me faire sentir comme si j’étais ancré quelque part, et c’est ce que j’apprécie.”

“For me, home is more about people than places, because I always feel like I’m on the move. When I find them [my people], I feel at home, comfortable, not quite alone. It’s warm, it feels good. Lately, I’ve realized that home is also the place where we all grew up—my whole family—something we share. A place that has always brought us together. What makes me feel at home there is the wind, the lake, the trees, the animals, the nature. These are things I manage to find everywhere while traveling, and they make me feel anchored, as if I belong. That’s what I appreciate.”

Belonging to a private collection.



Micaela

Oil on canvas, 81 x 116 cm
Inspired by the words of Micaela Dixon (Canada):

“I find that when I’m away from home, I like to participate in events, especially in subculture scenes that remind me of back home. They always feel the same to me wherever I am and make me feel like I am at home wherever I am.”



Philippe

Oil on canvas, 81 x 130 cm
Inspired by the words of NGuessan Rygoh Philippe (Ivory Coast):

“Fefe ô ti anouzè lika. Sran n’gba bé ya lè. Bé ba houmien dowa, bé ba yidjôlè. Likawlè ô ti di’hi. Sran wafa klwaklwa n’gba mé ba lè. Wié béa kan bé awlô ndè, wié bé liè, min ndè yè béa kankan. Fefe bo lô sran bé klo bé’houn. Anouanzè ô ti dans lô, bé wla fi’ bé’houn lô.I sô lika liè ô fa Cité Universitaire. San’guè wa ô ti ko’houn dan. Man tô amoulé. Mi wla kpinpkin Bamsou min sou. Lô asiè, lô aliè n’ga yé di, lô djoué n’ga yé si, lô ablé, lô min.”

“Bambou is a place of reunion, gathering, and rest—a calm and soothing space where all classes of society meet to talk, share, and reflect, whether on the country’s struggles or their own lives. The energy, the atmosphere, is indescribable. In many ways, it reminds me of the Cité Universitaire. As you may have guessed, I miss Bambou. The conversations, the meals we shared, the laughter—I miss it all. It makes me nostalgic for my country. I think of the people I met, the music, the scents, the life of that place.”



Mariana

Oil on canvas, 130 x 162 cm
Inspired by the words of Mariana Fabião (Portugal):

“A minha terra natal é o meu lugar, erguida da pedra cinzenta com vozes que ecoam entre o Rio e o mar.”

“My homeland is my place, raised from gray stone, with voices that echo between the river and the sea.”



Aude

Oil on canvas, 130 x 162 cm
Inspired by the words of Aude Nyadanu (France):

“J’ai deux terres d’origine. L’une est inscrite sur mon visage mais je ne m’y sens pas chez moi. L’autre est celle où j’ai grandi, mais où on me perçoit comme une étrangère. Souvent j’ai l’impression qu’aucun lieu ne m’appartient vraiment. Mais je préfère me dire que je suis un peu chez moi partout dans le monde.”

“I have two lands of origin. One is written on my face, but I don’t feel at home there. The other is where I grew up, but where I am perceived as an outsider. Often, I feel like no place truly belongs to me. But I prefer to tell myself that I am a little at home everywhere in the world.”



Mohamed

Oil on canvas, 130 x 162 cm
Inspired by the words of Mohamed Sultan (Egypt):

“يلع راث يللا يليج رصم ةليعلا باحصلا مالسلا ةراضحلا خيراتلا رصم .رصم نم و ةيرحلل لصوي هنا رِّصُم يللا ليجلل يمتنا يرصم ينا روخف .ملظلاو داسفلا ةيطارقوميدلا و لدعلا”

“I come from Egypt. Egypt is history, civilization, peace, friends, family, and my generation, which has risen against corruption and injustice. I am proud to be Egyptian, to be part of this generation that insists on freedom and justice.”



Bárbara

Oil on canvas and cotton thread, 130 x 162 cm
Inspired by the words of Bárbara Janicas (Portugal):

“De minha casa, sinto falta sobretudo dos sons: do som reconhecível das vozes mesmo sussurradas, dos passos no corredor, da chave de casa a rodar na fechadura, do meu pai a tocar guitarra, da minha irmã a acordar no quarto ao lado, e da minha mãe a chamar-me ao domingo de manhã para me ir deitar com ela, “só por cinco minutos”. Faz-me falta estar deitada na minha cama, de olhos fechados, a ouvir tudo isto, todos estes sons que ressoam o meu corpo, assegurando-me de que ainda estou “chez moi” ao acordar.”

“I miss the sounds of my home above all: the recognizable sound of voices, even whispered, of footsteps in the hallway, of the house key turning in the lock, of my father playing the guitar, of my sister waking up in the next room, and of my mother calling me on Sunday mornings to come lie with her, “just for five minutes.” I miss lying in my bed with my eyes closed, listening to all of this—all these sounds resonating through my body, assuring me that I am still ‘chez moi’ when I wake up.”