Artistic Approach

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Heaven

I delved deep into my childhood memories to trace back to the source of my photographic vision. I grew up inside a postcard where the narrative could simply begin with “Once upon a time…” I hail from a small village in the Belgian countryside where the valleys, rivers, and forests are all entwined. The combination of nature, the village, and the remains of a medieval past lends it a peaceful, cocoon-like atmosphere.

No matter where I looked, my child's eyes could see the full picture.

Hell

My studies brought me to the big city when I was a teenager. As a legacy of the Industrial Revolution, the city was as dark as coal and as rusty as it was disfigured. By revealing the scars of its mining and steelmaking history, all it offered was ugly, dirty, and bleak. The remaining factories spewed thick black smoke that the rain showered over the city, which had become thick with sludge. The soundscape echoed with the roar of screaming steel.

The Key

I had to find a way of escaping from this frightening landscape. Subconsciously, I developed the habit of looking through the opening formed by my fist. This allowed me to isolate a detail from its context and focus on the beauty of that fragment. It provided a tranquil space for my imagination to wander.

Sheer Pleasure

Today, it’s interesting to find that the roots of my photographic research lay in this old reflex, which has shifted from escapism to creation. No matter where I am, I still have the urge to demarcate a space that reflects a personal ideal. These delineated spaces – which I call “my perimeters” – are essential to my photographic approach. They offer me a free playground to express my feelings in total freedom.