Some of our experiences, we don't choose, but they create us without our conscious effort to draw from them. I consider the possibility that the events mentioned below played a role in my choices in life and the artwork I create.
I grew up under a communist regime. Life was challenging, especially for my parents; I didn't know better. My early memories are of food rationing and queues outside the empty shops, which were standard. Everything felt quite precious.
Endurance, resilience and a willingness to make the best of what was available at the time were very much part of my home life. My parents, especially my mother, were very good at making something out of not very much. These were relatively beautiful things created by sewing, knitting, and crocheting clothes alongside her full-time job as a dentist. She cooked with simple ingredients, which, often with labour-intensive methods, turned into delicious meals for five (two older brothers). There wasn't much waste; my parents tried to utilise as much as possible with their thought and effort.
They were both in the medical profession, so out of curiosity, I would flick through freely available medical books, some of which I have kept to this day. The illustrations were in colour, and I was amazed by the various shapes and lines, made visible and integral to the human body.
Sometimes, I would withdraw from the world around me and become absorbed in imaginative drawings. These drawings became my alternative space, which was very freeing.
Het is an abbreviation of my name, which I use to sign my work. The name is ambiguous and non-descriptive, which gives me a sense of detachment and autonomy.
"It is a joy to be hidden, but a disaster not to be found ", D.W. Winnicott.