Isabelle Vandeplassche x Doede Market

 

Belgian artist Isabelle Vandeplassche lives in a small fishing village in Portugal. In her work, she captures the small moments of everyday life, which carry both calmness and playfulness. It is precisely there that her work touches on what moves Doede: the wonder that is always close at hand, but only reveals itself when you slow down. But that wonder can give you the joy you experienced as a child, when life was still so small and the world seemed so big at the same time. 

At Doede Market, we believe that childhood and the place where you grow up are so important for the years that follow. That place is shaped by memories, hidden in perhaps the everyday objects that you will later see as an object with which you cherish your childhood. 

Isabelle's work shows the wonder hidden in everyday life, which people nowadays often don't see due to the haste with which we go through life. Her work makes you pause again, reminding you how close beauty and small joys are. 

For Doede Market, Isabelle developed a series of prints in which she expresses her childhood memories. We are curious about how those early years shaped her into who she is now and which memories she cherishes the most. 

 

A childhood among grass, flowers, and animals

When Isabelle thinks back to her childhood, an image of freedom immediately appears.

"Playing in nature, running through the grass, getting lost among flowers and bushes, the sun on my face, and small discoveries everywhere. It felt carefree and endless."

This connection with nature took shape in the large garden where she grew up. A place with goats and chickens, where there was always something to discover and where time seemed to have a different rhythm. It was an environment that offered space to wander, observe, and explore the world at her own pace.

 

Scents, sounds, and security

Some memories linger not as images, but as a scent or a sound. For Isabelle, these are the smell of wet grass and fresh outdoor air, and the sound of chickens and children playing in the background. Small impressions that immediately take her back to the past. But perhaps even more important are the rituals that have stayed with her. Afternoons at her grandparents' house, for example.

"Eating at my grandmother and grandfather's house every afternoon. The warmth of their home, the feeling of security, and the small rituals that were always the same."

It is precisely these simple moments that often turn out to be the most valuable later on.

 

The first urge to create

Even at a young age, Isabelle was constantly creating.

"I was always making things: drawing, painting, but also working with beads."

This act of creating was not a hobby that occasionally surfaced, but a natural way of being. She could disappear for hours into a drawing, a painting, or a self-made object. She still recognizes that concentration and devotion in her current practice.

"It still feels like time flies when I'm making something."

Her memories of the past also have a color palette that immediately evokes emotions. Not so much specific shades, but colors that radiate playfulness and vibrancy. Colors that reflect the carefree nature of childhood.

 

When memories find their way into art

Interestingly, Isabelle didn't consciously start incorporating childhood memories into her work. They gradually found their own way onto paper.

"It really crept in on its own. Without me consciously thinking about it, images and feelings from the past reappeared in my work."

She also sees it as a reaction to the times we live in. A world where everything seems to have to go faster, while she is attracted to slowing down and paying attention.

"I love small things and small moments. Objects that evoke nostalgia. The analogue, the tangible and familiar. Things that bring back memories."

That longing for the tangible and the everyday is clearly visible in her work. Her images invite you to look longer and find meaning again in what we normally pass by.

 

The child who remained

When Isabelle looks at who she used to be and who she is today, she mainly sees continuity.

"I am naturally introverted and can always keep myself busy: reading, creating, discovering. That curiosity, the urge to create and imagine, has never disappeared."

Traces of that same curiosity are also visible in her studio. Her cabinet full of paint, brushes, beads, and paper not only reminds her of the past but still serves as an invitation to experiment and create something new.

The child who could draw and collect for hours lives on in the artist who today captures the beauty of everyday life.

And if she could give her younger self one piece of advice?

"That she should just keep going."

Perhaps that also lies at the core of her work. An invitation to hold onto curiosity, to make space for wonder, and not to lose sight of the small things.