About My Art
For as long as I can remember myself, I’ve been fascinated by the power of nature. The beauty and elegance of the sea captured my imagination in so many ways. I don’t know whether it was the natural ebb and flow, the unique colours, or the myths and tales associated with it. Perhaps it was all of these and more that captured my imagination at an early age and somehow endured in such a way that I’ve never moved away from it in my mind.
The other cornerstone in my early life came from my mother: A naturally creative and artistic woman who would love nothing more than to spend a quiet afternoon enriching her latest canvas. The way in which she was able to bring ideas, thoughts and visions to life before my eyes was something that I was in awe of and knew one day that I would follow. I just needed to find my own niche and creative spark!
When I woke up one morning in March 2020, I was greeted with the same sense of fear, dread and uncertainty that most of the world was being forced to live through. The first lockdown had begun as if from nowhere in Greece and was changing the way we all thought about life and society like never before. I was in need of a distraction and something deep within me intertwined the sea and art in a way that today I’m truly thankful for.
“WE ARE ALL LIKE STONES LYING ON A BEACH, BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE EACH OF US WITH AN AMAZING STORY TO SHARE.”
Sandrine Maffre
I began to explore the subtle techniques and beautiful aesthetics of dot painting and saw that it was a unique way to explore my love of the interplay between spirituality and nature. I sought inspiration in the wonders of the sea by using natural sea stones as my canvas. As I looked for other inspiration, I saw the way that mandala patterning had inspired people for centuries. I explored the Buddhist and Hindu roots, the meaning of the cycle of life and the way in which the patterns are said to display everything true and meaningful about the universe.
When I started to bring these various different creative threads into the same space and weave them together, I saw I could create something truly unique. Today I’m proud to have been able to share my work with hundreds of people from all walks of life, with each of them taking a unique meaning from what I’ve created. Every single interaction, comment and conversation has helped shape my outlook and refine my creative process in a way which is hard to put into words. I simply hope that followers of my work see the natural progression and diversification of what I bring to life.
Whether it’s through a comment on social media, a direct sale, an exhibition or having the honour to have my work included in a published book with the 100 Greek Contemporary Artists, I feel truly blessed and thankful.
Publications
• 2021, “100 Greek Contemporary Artists”, Visual Art Anthology, Vol.4, Art Way / Ostria Publications.
Group Exhibitions
• June 2021, Visual Arts Group Exhibition, Art Way, “Overlooking the sea”, Rafina, Greece
• Jun-Jul 2021, 3rd Visual Arts Group Exhibition, Art Way, Online
• Feb-Mar 2022, 5th Visual Arts Group Exhibition, Art Way, Online
• Feb 2022, Visual Arts Group Exhibition, Art Way, “Art. A journey without borders”, Art Gallery 35, Piraeus, Greece