'His use of colour is breathtaking. He knew exactly how to combine warm and cool tones, often with surprising results. Spilliaert also played with light refracting properties of materials, giving his works an almost magical effect.' Her love of restoration is evident. 'The process of working layer by layer, revealing details and bringing a work back to life is incredibly satisfying. Each work of art has its own story to tell and it is an honour to be able to unravel it.'
Melissa Hughes began her career in England and later moved to Belgium where she specialised in paper restoration. Since 1988, she has focused on the works of Léon Spilliaert, as well as those of other great artists such as Delvaux and Ensor. Her expertise in handling fragile works of art, combined with her fascination with Spilliaert’s techniques, makes her work both unique and inspiring.