GIGI (°1957) studied painting and photography at Sint-Lucas in Ghent, Belgium.

Her first exhibition followed in 1976. 

In 1989, she opened the public school Kinderatelier Octopus, a visual arts studio for children aged 6 to 12. Twenty years later, Kinderatelier Octopus reaches 400 children every day in various studios in Bruges and the surrounding area. 

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Many exhibitions and projects followed, both national and international.  

One of the expositions was in collaboration with Verana Belgium (Kortrijk) in Honjo-City, Japan. 

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Gigi worked with the famous Belgian fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck and with several well known Belgian designers, such as Herr Seele and Benoit Van Innis. 

  

She cooperated for many years with the famous Groeninge and Memling museums in Bruges, where she designed educative boxes for visitors of the museum. 

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Exhibitions in Europe, like the exposition in the art gallery of the Monastry of Alcobaça (Portugal, 2013), give her work a different palet of possibilities. 

The Azulejos artworks were a big success, in Belgium and in Portugal. 

Four Angel Azulejos artworks were purchased by the Belgian Embassy of Portugal.  

You can find them now in the residence of the Ambassador in Lissabon. 

  

Her artworks are mainly created with oil pastel. 

For the football World Cup 2014 in Brazil, she painted a football azulejo which was exhibitioned in the residence of the Ambassador on the occasion of a reception with the Prime Minister and Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, the press, the Belgian community ... 

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Gigi also creates artworks for companies, to help them optimize both their interior design and their appearance. 

For instance, she designed three artworks for the company "Ardo" (Belgium) based on their key product, frozen vegetables. 

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For Leeuwarden, the cultural capital of Europe 2018, she created WOODBOYS, no (time to) waste (January 15th - August 6th, 2018). 

 

In 2023, she exhibits at TAMAT museum in Tournai with a brand new design: tapestry MOVING WATER, a tapestry with an innovative processing by CALCUTTA INTERIORS produced with some very specific properties good for our environment. 

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Tapestry Moving Water at the ECC Venice Biënnale 2024

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The mission of the Moving Water tapestry is to use art to facilitate a transition to a sustainable and circular model that engages all stakeholders in open dialogue.  

The project recognizes the urgent need to address the water, climate and environmental issues affecting our planet, and aims to raise awareness and inspire action through artistic expression. By promoting innovative, environmentally friendly production methods, Moving Water seeks to create a world where sustainability is at the forefront of all decision-making processes.  

Through collaboration and community involvement, the project hopes to inspire positive change and build a more sustainable future for all. 

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A Sustainable Artwork  

The Moving Water tapestry is more than just a beautiful piece of art.  

The tufting process used to create the tapestry involves using leftover wool threads from Els de Muynck's studio, which would have otherwise gone to waste.  

This approach reduces the amount of material waste and helps to support the circular economy. 

The felt pieces used in the artwork are sourced from New Zealand sheep and are certified under the No Museling label, which ensures that animal welfare is respected. The felt is supplied by Feltmen in Oss, Netherlands, where the company is committed to contributing to animal welfare.