Five years ago, I made the decision to leave the Netherlands where I was born

and move to Lisbon, Portugal.

My roots are in Aruba,

but my life’s always been a mix of different places and people.

The move turned out to be the best thing I’ve done for myself and for my art.

I was looking for inspiration, new perspectives,

and a chance to finally shape my own story.

Portugal offered more color, more energy,

and I found people who live openly, spontaneously.

After graduating college at the start of 2020

and facing the reality of losing jobs during a tough year,

I realized I was ready for change.

I wanted more from life than the routine I was stuck in,

and I wanted to see what happened if I chose my own direction, no matter how uncertain.

Since moving, I’ve dedicated myself to making art my main focus,

honestly,

everything in my daily life revolves around it.

My approach is pretty instinctive. I draw what comes to mind in the moment,

and I rely on my emotional state and the flow of my subconscious.

I don’t use references.

I prefer working with whatever happens naturally rather than forcing meaning onto it.

My drawings started out with a lot of faces and expressions,

and over time have grown more fluid and experimental-creatures,

mythical shapes, and forms that just show up as I go.

People sometimes call my work dark or edgy,

but to me it’s just honest.

I use a lot of black, white, and red, not on purpose but because it suits my mood and style.

Red is probably my favorite color now, but I don’t overthink it.

Making art has become a way to process emotions and events that I sometimes can’t talk about.

In some ways, showing my work has helped me let go,

work through the past, and get comfortable with myself.

I believe that every person who views my art should be free to interpret it however they want.

I have my own ideas, but that’s not the main point.

The story is always open, and that’s how I want to keep it.

The truth is, I moved a lot growing up and never really had a single place to call home.

That experience pushed me to finally choose where I want to be,

who I want to be around, and how I work. Lisbon has become that place for me,

a place where I can be myself, keep experimenting,

and keep growing through art and new experiences.