Since my earliest childhood, I’ve always had an “itch to paint” : an irresistible urge to bring to life the whirlwind of ideas that spring to mind at the mere sight of an animal, a unique face, or a beautiful creation from nature or human hands.

This perspective on the world comes from my grandfather, an avid traveler who, through his stories, transported me from Zanzibar to Hanoi, from Djibouti to Mali and its Dogon villages.

Self-taught, I still sought technical advice from my sister, a painting restorer, a cousin who is an art history professor, a mother who is a seamstress, another grandfather who dabbled in sculpture, and many others…

Their advice led me to oil painting, which I sometimes set aside for gold leaf or sketching in my kitchen…