Lost on the island of Formosa

Continuing my journey in Asia, I landed in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, an island neighboring China. Seen from the sky, this place unleashed my curiosity as the plane flew over the Tansui River that winds through the city.

But once I landed, I felt lost in this new environment. Some aspects reminded me of China while others reminded me more of Japan. This feeling of being disoriented did not leave me for several days.

I first staying in a Taipei downtown neighborhood that reminded me of the frenzy of New York, the city that never sleeps. What fascinated me were the banyan and the bodhi, these old trees that adorn the streets.

Banyan trees are characterized by their aerial roots that hang along the trunk and eventually take root in the ground. This tree is particularly revered in India where it is considered the tree of immortality. As for the bodhi, they are said to possess magical powers since Buddha attained enlightenment under one of these trees.

Taipei is a culturally vibrant city. During my stay, I attended a Chinese opera, a classical music concert and a piano improvisation concert. But my favorite performances were an indigenous dance and a modern dance performances.

After a deafeningly noisy start to my stay, I had the opportunity to end my stay in a much more peaceful neighborhood, but still in the city. The house I was staying in was perched on the slope of a mountain where I could see the city's skyscrapers in the distance from my room. This view was so fascinating that it woke me up at night to photograph it, which I did almost obsessively every night during my stay.

The month spent in Taipei was not a long, quiet river. I had my ups and downs. But above all, it allowed me to do some introspection.

What do I want to do once my trip to Asia is over? What is my message as an artist? How can I articulate a future where photography and perfumery could intertwine?

These questions that had been going around in my head for a few months already had not received satisfactory answers until then. But with time, things are finally becoming clearer. I am beginning to see a personal venture that would lead me to offer products and services that I deeply believe in and that make me happy and give me the feeling of being useful.