Biënnale Natura Inspiratus
The Biennale Natura Inspiratus is an art event organized by Cultuurvuur vzw in cooperation with the Botanical Garden in Meise and the Flemish Community. It combines the beauty of art and nature. More than 50 artists are invited to make a piece of art inspired by a location in the garden.
My location is a marvelous pedunculate oak surrounded by the white flowers of wild garlic.
​
The making of ...
A Tribute to Quercus robur L.
As we live in a time of extreme environmental threats I want to bring a tribute to the tree, the majestic Pedunculate Oak. By paying a tribute, we acknowledge the crucial role trees play in maintaining our ecological balance and well-being. They improve air quality, combat climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide, stabilise soil, and provide shelter to countless micro- and macro-organisms. This tribute is a call to action, to take threats such as deforestation and increasing forest fires seriously and to strive for a world where we respect and cherish nature.
The work consists of 18 small encaustic paintings (12.5 x 12.5 cm) in which the Pedunculate Oak plays a pivotal role. They are placed in a circle around the tree and illustrate both beauty and fragility. Each painting is embedded in a concrete tile. The small size of the paintings contrasts with the scale of the extreme environmental challenges we face. I have used an old painting technique that involves mixing beeswax, resin and pigments.
