how stories influence and shape my art

During my creative process, stories emerge spontaneously, guided by my intuition and emotions.

Often, the deeper meaning only becomes clear afterwards, when I discover the key to the dormant stories hidden deep within me. Naturally, these stories are influenced by my own experiences and/or the stories of others. My state of mind and observations form the foundation of my work, where various elements come together and hidden narratives gradually reveal themselves.

My Number One Source of Inspiration!
Do you already know the story behind my deep connection with the city of Lisbon?
For me, Lisbon is pure poetry and an inspiring, inexhaustible source of creativity. This city simply breathes stories.

Anyone who knows me well knows that Portugal—especially Lisbon—has stolen my heart. I love this city and its people. Our neighborhood, my neighbors, my friends, but also fleeting encounters on public transport, in an authentic little restaurant, and so on—these moments inspire me immensely. With just a few lines, I try to capture characters, expressions, and moments in my small sketchbooks.

The stories of people, fleeting snapshots, and the narratives behind them fuel my creative fire and form the foundation of my freely inspired work. Additionally, I let myself be guided by quickly taken photographs, which often reveal accidental but intriguing compositions.

The Hidden Stories Within Me
I am guided not only by my observations but also by a feeling—whether my own or that of others. For me, this is a form of communication and perhaps also a way to process what is going on inside me. In these works, my own story—or that of someone else—forms the foundation, often very direct, sometimes more subtly hidden behind a façade.

For example, my quirky interpretations of Mickey Mouse stem from a personal experience—my burnout and recovery process. During this period, I was forced to take a step back and think beyond traditional boundaries. This led to a sense of kinship with the character Onslow from Keeping Up Appearances, who also rebels against established norms and finds his own path. In Belgium and the Netherlands, this show is known as Schone Schijn, which revolves around maintaining a façade. Similarly, Mickey Mouse can also be seen as a symbol of façade: he always radiates cheerfulness, optimism, and determination, even when facing inner doubts or struggles.

Both characters, in different ways, represent the power—and sometimes the absurdity—of maintaining a façade, which parallels my own experiences during recovery.

I invite you to bring your own story to the table as well! 

My work is not only a visual reflection of my inner world but also an invitation for others to join me on my creative journey. I truly enjoy it when viewers interpret my work in their own way and add new stories of their own!