One evening I had lit the candles and was sitting on the couch lost in reverie.

My gaze fell upon a vase of red roses I had bought that morning at the market. Their beauty took my breath away. This is how this body of work was born. As with everything new, it is first born in emotion. Amor engaging Psyche.

The above experience coincided –obviously not by chance- with the fact that still life had begun to get my attention whenever I was in museums.

When the Academy of Fine Art was found in France in the 17th century, a hierarchy of subject matter was established. Historical themes – along with mythological and allegorical ones- were placed at the very top. Second place was taken by portraiture. After that came everyday scenes, then landscapes, animals and lastly and very undervalued, came still life. Over the course of their entire history, still life was considered an appropriate subject matter for women. In many countries, women excelled especially in painting flowers.

Is that pure coincidence?