WHO AM I?

Sylviane Merchez has always expressed herself through drawing. Seduced as a child by the mysteries of ancient Egypt, she chose to study Art History and Archaeology, Ancient History and Egyptology at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, and studied Arabic for four years. But her passion for art remained, and she took evening classes in art restoration at the Académie d’Anderlecht.

Meanwhile, she tried her hand at various practical training courses, such as imitation wood and marble techniques. The mix of these apprenticeships, alongside an intense personal life, has made her work the bundle of multiple expressions that characterises her today.

Entirely dedicated to creating objects in Halchimia, a rare and fascinating geopolymer, Sylviane fashions works of art and imagines tables for a range of brands. Invented by Roland Lefèvre.

“Primitive” and “futuristic” are two concepts she likes to mingle in order to achieve a variety of effects: from the material’s crackling to the integrated metals’ deep shine, each piece develops its own personality in response to the proposed mixtures and reactions she introduces. The notions of limit, boundary, contact, encounter, dialogue, protection and dilution are central to her aesthetic research.

• Diploma in Archaeology, Art History and Egyptology, ULB, Brussels
• Medallist of the School of Imitation Wood and Marble, Van Der Kelen-Logelain, Brussels