I knew I wanted to follow my creative path from the moment I realized I had to create what I wanted to see; to render the colors, shapes & themes inhabiting me. I knew I wanted to pursue my artistic path professionally when I realized how the process of making art makes me feel and how my art makes others feel. Creativity in all its forms and in every field is so needed and essential in this world we live in.

Since my childhood, I’ve always been drawn towards authenticity and uniqueness in people, art, music, fashion, books, films as in business. I’ve always known I have the creative and entrepreneurial fibers in me. Growing up, I was into national competitive sports as well as music, playing the violin since the age of 5. Speaking of that age, that’s when my great aunt Irene introduced me to painting as I sat at her kitchen table in such a joyful and peaceful setting. She had that twinkle in her eye kind of saying to me “you got this”. I completed my bachelor and masters degrees in Biology and Pharmacology respectively and went on to work in the medical field. During a business trip to Brazil, the Amazonian greens in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro brought me back to an element of my childhood and awoke something within me. A new means of expression started for me through painting. It came as a necessity, but also with its challenges.

My art is the amalgam of all that I am; a mix of scientific, medical, corporate and creative intertwined with my learnings from past life challenges and experiences. My artistic approach is based on my vision, imagination and the colors that inhabit me. I am a ‘humanist’ and my process is global. My work is about endless possibilities, peace, hope, love and respect towards each other and towards our environment. Humanity, health, colors, forests, air and coastlines are vitally interconnected.

My work is about awareness on the themes of “living”, the symbiosis of the conventional with the unconventional as well as the direct link between the environment and our health. I express my vision of our world seen through a “window” of opportunity of change. My artwork is intended to raise public awareness of the precariousness, fragility and primordial importance of the presence of natural elements, the quality of the air that we breathe and the impact of colours on our health.

An example of this is my forests collection; at times abstract forests seen in motion through a ‘window’. This series originated after a few months’ stay in Portugal. It was in 2016 when many forest fires were raging across the country. During a lunch in Lisbon, an architect shared his experience with me as he was part of the team to reconstruct a village in northern Portugal, where everything, including its inhabitants, were destroyed in a major forest fire. I vividly remember the look on his face. I decided to title my forest series in Portuguese in hommage to their people. Then in May 2023, I chose to title my upcoming July exhibition “Air” since trees brings us so much (oxygen, calmness, shade, etc) but I never would have imagined the summer season of 2023 when major forest fires ravaged Canadian forests like never before. Not only destroying a staggering 45 million acres of land/forests/wildlife but also the resulting poor air quality affecting each province as well as south of the border to NYC. The word “apocalyptic” became reality. There is an urgent need to raise public awareness. Given the significant deforestation going on in so many parts of the world (Brazil, California, etc) and the increasing number of forest fires having a serious impact on our air quality, our health, I feel the obligation to use my voice as an artist to bring public awareness on the impact of the environment & science linked to our health.

I feel there are many all equally important rewarding aspects of being an artist. Creating induces a specific state of being and relationship with oneself. I create what I see and what I want to see. Having that outlet to express my vision through painting is quite a long process which is like no other. I am in complete bliss when I mix colors and am fascinated by their impact on how we feel. People reach out to me on my social media telling me how my art makes them feel. I personally think the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is creating awareness, having an impact on society which is conducive towards change and hopefully, solutions. I love that art has no borders and enables us to reach people beyond all the languages and cultural barriers across the globe.

I am very grateful I had the opportunity to show my art at local and international exhibits in solo and group exhibitions in the US (NYC & LA), Canada (Moncton, Shediac, Barachois, Montreal), the UK (London) & Spain (Barcelona) as well as to have some of my artworks published in media articles, books and art E-book. In 2022, I had the honor to have one of my paintings auctioned at a charity event held at the prestigious Victoria and Albert museum in London UK. My collectors are from all over including the US, Canada, UK, Uruguay, Spain, and I am very thankful to them for their ongoing presence and support. I am proud to be part of professional artist associations (Canada Council for the Arts, AAAPNB, ARTSNB, CARFAC Maritimes). I look forward to collaborating with other artists and participating in art residencies locally and internationally. I’m very grateful for my upcoming solo exhibits this year and truly enjoy giving presentations/conferences to groups of all ages, from students to from local & international cultures and backgrounds. To be able to not only express myself through my art but also share my journey in my presentations/conferences is something I truly enjoy since I love connecting with people.

Yes I had to pivot more than once in my life. Those pivotal moments can be tough to go through but I feel they hold important silverlinings, eye-opening realizations which have stayed with me throughout my life and still do now.

When I was younger, I was a national athlete heading to my second Canada Games and had to suddenly stop because of an injury. It was really tough since my ultimate goal was to go to the Olympic Games. The shift of having to quit intense training to take the time to heal made me learn and appreciate to never take our body for granted. Going from an intense schedule to having ‘time’ made me appreciate the simple yet very important things in life. I definitely learned a lot of about patience and resilience. Even now, exercise and a healthy diet is of essence for my overall well-being which has an impact on everything I do, including my art. As the saying goes “Once an athlete, always an athlete” which is how I tackle any challenge I need to conquer. Thanks to  my life challenges & experiences and pivotal moments, I am grateful for the inner strength, assertiveness, patience, resilience, perseverance and passion I have in all that I do.