I arrived in Brussels, Belgium with a provisional study visa in 2013. There was a single condition to my travel document: to get accepted into an art school. I immediately visited La Cambre, where I had previously asked for a shot at being a student. A few minutes after introducing myself, my admission was denied, and I was asked to search elsewhere.
And so I did.
It was a week later, after visiting different schools in the Francophone region, that Chantal Maes, from the photography atelier at the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts saw my mixed media portfolio. Right from the start, she told me I was bad at photography, BUT she did seem to see potential in my sculpture skills.
And so it was, that a shitty photographer was sent to Jean Francois Diord, sculptor and director of the sculpture program at the Academie got to see my portfolio and gave me a chance at studying the arts under his wing.
It is because of the Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, that I’ve gotten to be in the places I’ve been. This academy gave me a shot to build a quasi-permanent sculpture in the city of Ath, and also an internship at LIX pen. To think this was all thanks to Chantal Maes and my shitty photography skills.
Who would’ve thought?
(I might have to do an article about all the teachers who have said I have zero talent)
Leave a reply