Antoin's roots

The sounds, obsessions, materials, ideals, events, jobs, books, letters, hobbies, meals, buildings, colors, landscapes and people from our youth leave their mark on us and our work.

Childhood

From group 1 of primary school onwards, I was lucky to receive broad education in addition to school. Being an only child, I think my parents thought that was important.

Competitive sports and classical music were regular pastimes in my life. Swimming training six hours a week and practicing the clarinet seven hours a week shaped me in a way that I still enjoy today.

From a growth-oriented boy with perseverance, I developed into an emotional man with an eye and ear for beauty, who can listen well.

In my spare time I drew a lot. I wasn't very good at it, but I really enjoyed it. At primary school I was fanatical during the drawing and handicraft classes and always looked for the limits of the possibilities.

Early on in primary school, something else also became clear: my attention to the weakest among us was a strong drive. Classmates who were bullied could count on my support. I think I got that from my mother, who led women's talk groups in the 1970s and 1980s.

In group six I became a coach of youth groups where themes such as self-confidence and identity were discussed. My interest in the welfare of 'the other' has never waned since.

I did high school despite everything I did next to it. My schedule was packed.

Competitive sports and making music came together in a wonderful mix: ballroom dancing. It soon became a competitive sport too for me.

In the meantime I played the clarinet in a big band, with which my endless practicing finally fell into place.

And there was also a hobby: model flying. My passion for everything to do with flying was born. I contracted airplanes and flew them with my father. I inherited his two right hands.

To pay for those sports and hobbies I worked from an early age in the holidays. Simple, heavy work on the bulb fields. My serious work attitude was noticeable and I was soon put in charge of large groups of holiday workers.

In high school, the arts were my favorite. I was often still in the art classroom after class trying out different printing techniques. From linocut to etching, from screen printing to lithography.

I also discovered the shapes of the letters that I am fascinated by to this day.

In addition, I was the only one that liked social studies, which made me a bit of an outsider.