Since 2017, I have used ornamental patterns to create the painting’s composition. Often, a reference to architecture can be seen in my use of ornamental decoration that was used to embellish parts of a building on either the exterior or interior. My sources are decorative screens, fretwork, and carvings that were made from stone, wood, plaster or clay, from historical churches, mosques, baroque interiors and grand theatres of the early twentieth century.
Ornamentation on buildings was wiped out by the Modern movement of the last century. Buildings became sleek and minimalist, and decoration was frowned upon. By using these patterns, I reference nostalgia and memory, and point to something that is missing. The decoration of things is an intrinsic human activity, practised by all cultures, in all countries, even in pre-historical times. I reintroduce it in my paintings.
