“Being a girl in a band is not a statement”

Hanne Smets in her home studio - PHOTO: Ella Pauwels

 

“It was never my dream to become a musician,” is the first thing Hanne Smets says. She plays the keys for The Haunted Youth, an indie rock band created by Joachim Liebens in their college years. Now, she calls music …

Jay the Author, a forever stranger with a mission: The Dear Stranger Project

a back view of Jay, the artist of the project, hanging up one of his 'Dear Stranger' letters on a pole on the Grand Place in Brussels.

Jay's 'Dear stranger' project consists out of hanging up letters in public places all over the world, like the Grand Place in Brussels. photo taken by De Laurier Nikki.

 

From the COVID lockdown streets in Melbourne to cities all over the world. Jay Ventress, better known as Jay the Author on Instagram, shows how even strangers can make you feel seen with his handwritten letters. Jay, a 27-year-old street …

The Forgotten Artisan: A Textile Creator’s Life in the Shadow of Fashion

Daniel Henry working in his studio with his assistant. Image source: https://danielhenry.eu

 

When talking about fashion, models and designers often steal the spotlight, but they are not the only ones shaping the industry. It is time to look deeper. Daniel Henry, a Professional of the Year Award winner, shows us how the life as an artisan in the fashion …

Painter Jan Van Imschoot: “My world is an illusion of liberty”

Artist and painter Jan Van Imschoot looking straight into the camera.

Jan Van Imschoot prioritizes creative freedom over conventional success. Photo: Valerie Vernier

 

“I don’t believe in the word contemporary art”, states contemporary artist Jan Van Imschoot. Born in Ghent, Belgium, 1962, the artist recalls his time at the Charlatan, a bar and night club in the city. He describes living in Ghent …

De kermiswereld is niet zomaar een job, maar een manier van leven

Gizèle aan het werk (foto: Ianthe Vergauwen Cocquyt)

 

Heerlijke smoutebollen, frietjes en een warme glimlach. Gizèle vertelt over de mooie en soms pittige kanten van het leven op de kermis. Van lange dagen tot het samenwonen in een caravan met het hele gezin. Dit is het verhaal van …