Botanical Art Worldwide 2025
The 2025 Botanical Art Worldwide project focused on biodiversity in the crops that have been closely associated with the human species for thousands of years. The goal was to draw attention to the vast variety of food and useful plants available, in contrast with the relatively few varieties currently used in mass cultivation. Eligible plants were those cultivated for food, textiles, building, energy, and medicine. BAWW project is a remarkable collaboration between botanical artists, organizations, and institutions worldwide.
Unfortunately, although France did participate in 2018, I have the honor of being the sole botanical artist currently representing France in Belgium for Botanical Art Worldwide in 2025. I am very grateful for this opportunity and would like to thank the Belgian steering committee members for letting me participate. I would also like to thank my husband for supporting me and believing in me, especially when I started doubting myself.
While it is a privilege for me to represent France, I hope that for the next Botanical Art Worldwide project, my French colleagues will come together to create a beautiful exhibition of our native plants.
Why did I choose to paint a chayote vine?
An ancient crop, chayote (also known as chouchou and christophine) has been cultivated since pre-Columbian times. It was introduced to Réunion Island, Guadeloupe and Antilles in the mid-19th century. All parts of the chayote plant are delicious and edible: the fruit, root, stem, seeds, shoots and leaves. Chayote is utilized in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and even clothing industries. It’s low in calories, yet high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and contains potent antioxidants. At the end of the 19th century, the chouchou plant was mainly cultivated in Salazie for its stems and the quality of its fibers, which were used to make hats. This high-quality raw material was exported to Paris, Rome, and New York.
My work on this piece began in 2023 with a color study of a chayote fruit. My extensive sketches and color studies, as well as the precise measurements I took of different parts of the vine, guided me in my work on this painting during the past three years. My painting titled Sechium edule showcases the fruit, the stem, the shoots, leaves, and both male and female flowers. Chayote plants are monoecious, which means they produce separate female and male flowers in the same plant.
Featured images from left to right: My color study of the chayote fruit | Sechium edule - a finished piece of a life-sized chayote vine | Photos of the chayote plant
600+ hours and 2 years of research later, my painting of a chayote vine is finally finished, although, admittedly, it was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life: not only did many months of constant work result in injuries and severe fatigue, but I also lost my mom in June.
Overcoming the obstacles
There was a moment when I started to doubt my ability to finish this painting on time. After all, it looked like the odds were sorely stacked against me. For many months, I woke up at 4 am to maximize my productivity, and worked without any time off in hopes of meeting the deadline. I ended up overusing my wrist and my elbow and had to deal with both Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: thankfully, not at the same time!
Despite my effort and hard work, I did unfortunately miss the initial deadline, so my artwork could not have been featured in a worldwide compilation presentation shown at exhibition venues around the world. I also missed the start of the Belgium’s Finest exhibition. This might sound silly, but I had never missed a deadline before, and this certainly came as a shock to me.
Following encouragement from Hilde Orye, President of VBKB (Belgian Botanical Artists Society), I continued working towards a September exhibition.
As I was pushing through fatigue and burnout to finish this piece, life threw in the final blow. In June, my mother unexpectedly passed away. My world turned upside down.
Most professional artists still pick up their tools even if they feel remarkably uninspired. After all, discipline and determination are very important when you make art for a living.
However, feeling uninspired and going through a heartbreaking loss of a loved one are two very different things. Although art can be a fantastic tool for processing grief, I feel that grief and the effort and concentration required to tackle a demanding painting don’t go hand in hand. I had to take some time off painting to process my feelings and feel like myself again. By the time I felt somewhat better, I found myself with only a week left to complete my piece. While it seemed like all hope was lost, I was able to pull myself together, pick up my brushes and “get the job done”. I guess it’s one of those paintings that never really feel done, but I’m quite happy with the final piece.
My painting Sechium edule will be on view from September 7 to October 26, 2025 in Hof ter Saksen (Hof ter Saksendreef 3B, B-9120 Beveren).
