The Wall of Memories (2016) was one of the main project during De Saffier residency with Artshake in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Each painting represents a childhood memory from the residents - 6 from elderly (80 to 99 year-old) and 6 from young student residents.
12 x acrylic and black pen on paper
92x69 cm
January: "Poptje was my baby teddy bear. I used to hold it tight against my chest. I still have it and all the fingers have been eaten".
February: "I remember my childhood in Greece, playing with a spinning-top with my siblings".
March: "When I was 10, I experienced a moment of stage theatre for the first time. I did not care much for the audience, what I loved the most was the rehearsing time every week, the excitement that lives backstage".
April: "My Dad worked for the Dutch railway so I used to travel all the country for free and love the feeling of being on the road".
May: " At 8, a German officer pointed a gun on my head; luckily a higher ranked officer stopped him from killing me; and look at me now: I'm 83 and I have four children and four grandchildren!".
June: "At 5, my sister and I were playing, pretending to be in a hair salon. It was very early in the morning, at a time we were not supposed to be up yet. With the excitement, my sister cut my hair on the front, creating a fringe".
July: "I used to play a lot in the woods with friends. My favourite part would be when it rained: everyone would leave but I'd cycle in the rain and the road would be free just for me".
August: "I used to draw trees with my grandfather. He always drew first the trunk and the branches, and I will then add colourful dots on the top".
September: "I met my wife when I was 10, the day of school. We are now celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary".
October: "I used to play with my younger brothers on the barn"s hay, we would climb to the top and then let ourselves slide to fall right through it".
November: "My favourite toy was a wooden red oven my grandfather made when I was 3. I used to spend a lot of time with him before he passed away".
December: " My family had a pharmacy in Utrecht where I used to work. Every room was used for making medecine, even my bedroom. We sold the shop in the 60s but the wooden deer head still remains inside today".
