Every child is an artist.
The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up
(Pablo Picasso)
Kim Beaufils is a painter, sculptor and archaeologist. Born in Montreal Canada, she graduated with honours from art school and continued her studies at Concordia University Fine Arts Department. In her third year of university she fell in love with the Greek philosophers and her life changed its course. After excavating in Greece for a summer, she decided to get a Bachelor’s degree in classics and archaeology. Her journey took her to London to write her Master’s thesis and her PhD and ended with two studentships in Greece (at the British School at Athens and the Canadian Archaeological Institute in Athens). Greece is where she met her husband and decided to settle down until 2010.
During one of her annual visits to Canada, she received news from her sister announcing a long awaited pregnancy and a request to help decorate the baby’s room. She was pleased to help create a special space dedicated to the well-being of her niece. She found out that children generally see objects around them from bottom to top, whereas adults usually see the same objects from top to bottom. For example, to a child, a chair can become a tower to climb, a table can become a cabin, and even a cat asleep on the couch might be a lion. Also, young children move, on average, every 45 seconds, so their play area has to be well planned. According to psychological studies, the majority of preschool children prefer realism to abstract images, especially of nature and the outdoors.
Being forced to see the world from a child’s viewpoint was fascinating, but she knew that it would be hard to carve a niche in the world of design for children before she could experience motherhood firsthand. In 2006 her first son was born; since then she has devoted most of her time to raising her children and to painting murals. In whatever project she undertakes, she aims to create a unique environment for children, a space that is both gentle and safe, yet fosters and encourages play in a tangible way, everyday.
