Three years ago, the images of N.D. on fire went viral. For many, the drama unfolding in front of us was deeply moving. Watching the event from California, I could feel that an inner part of myself was touched. I decided to dedicate a series of paintings to the event. In a sense they are historical paintings, directly related to the day. They also represent a very painterly subject, as churches and cathedrals have been embraced by many artists over the centuries.

A mental space

The work opens a mental space where we re-experience the event, the fire ignites again, for us to ponder its meaning. When you look, something is in motion within yourself. Regarding the symbolic dimension of the fire, I’m choosing to see it as an ignition point, a time for the realization of new insights, into what was not seen before.