Today we’d like to introduce you to Daphne Florville.
Hi Daphne, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Daphne Florville. I was born and raised in Haiti and earned a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from the University of Florida.
My creative journey really started when I was very young. I remember that my mom didn’t have to buy me a dollhouse. We had a built-in space in our home, and I turned it into one myself. I created everything my dolls needed using whatever I could find around the house. Even then, I loved taking simple objects and giving them another life.
By middle school, I had started painting and drawing, often creating abstract pieces with vivid colors. Not too long ago, a friend even reminded me that I used to draw all the time in class. When it came time to choose a major, Interior Design felt like a natural direction for me.
Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to work in my field. Right after college, I became pregnant, and being a mom became my priority. After becoming a mother to two little girls, I eventually felt the need to create again. I needed something just for me, something that allowed me to express myself. Art became a sacred space for me.
At that time, I wanted to create art that was not only beautiful but also functional. I began working with alcohol ink on tiles finished with resin, creating coasters, trays, cigar holders and other pieces that brought together color and function. From there, I expanded into working with wood. For about five years, a dear friend who owned a store gave my work a place where people could see, enjoy and purchase it.
After COVID, she unfortunately closed the store, and my art became quiet for about two years. Thanks to a family member whom I call *Ma Soeur*, I slowly found my way back. She invited me to collaborate with her on a project, and little by little, I began creating again.
When I returned to painting, I started painting women. I was entering a period of my life where, at 50, I was learning about and understanding a new version of myself. The women I painted often had their eyes closed, neutral skin tones and flowers adorning them. I wanted them to represent any woman. To me, the flowers represented strength, courage and elegance.
At the same time, I began building little wooden houses. I work as an assistant teacher at a preschool, and I was given a box of old wooden toy blocks. I started transforming those simple blocks into little buildings and villages. Without realizing it at first, I had come full circle. I was once again doing what I had done with my dollhouse as a little girl: looking at an ordinary object and imagining what else it could become. Alongside my little constructions, I began drawing and sketching houses as well.
For a long time in my art journey, I searched for perfection and looked to other people’s opinions for validation. Lately, I have been allowing myself to draw, sketch, paint and give new purpose to simple objects without constantly pursuing perfection. I’ve come to understand that art doesn’t have to be perfect. It is a way of expressing yourself in your own way.
I don’t limit myself to one particular style or medium. Today I might paint a woman’s face, tomorrow I might sketch a little house, and the next day I may see an ordinary object and wonder what else it could become. I think that freedom to explore has brought me back to the reason I loved creating in the first place.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I believe one of the biggest challenges along my creative journey came after COVID. For a long period of time, my art became silent. I wasn’t inspired, and my studio, which had once been my creative space, became just an ordinary room. There was a sense of detachment, almost a void, and being unable to create was frustrating at times.
After about two years, a family member whom I call *Ma Soeur* asked me to be an artist-in-residence on her Pink Kitchen Sink website. That invitation slowly brought me back to creating.
When my studio came alive again, something in my art had changed. I became more expressive and less concerned with perfection. I decided to sketch regularly and began sharing my work on social media. Before, I wanted every photograph to be staged and every piece to feel perfect before I shared it. Now, I try to capture the moment rather than the perfection.
That period taught me that creativity can become quiet without disappearing. When mine returned, I learned to give myself more freedom to simply create.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
When I first read this question, I had to pause because I don’t specialize in just one medium. I enjoy exploring and creating with acrylics, acrylic pouring, resin, wood, markers and mixed media. I also love repurposing ordinary objects and imagining what else they can become. A simple white tile can become a coaster, tray, cigar holder or spoon rest. An old kitchen cabinet door can become my canvas for a particular project, and a simple piece of wood can become a little house.
I’m most proud of the fact that I’m creating again and that I have the opportunity to share my work with others. After experiencing a period when my creativity became quiet, being able to walk into my studio, experiment and make something again means a great deal to me.
What also sets my work apart is the influence of my Haitian culture. I am naturally drawn to vibrant colors, and some of my work incorporates my own artistic interpretation of Haitian vèvè. I enjoy bringing elements of where I come from into what I create while still allowing myself the freedom to experiment.
I may not specialize in one particular medium, but I think there is a common thread throughout my work: I love seeing possibility in simple things. Whether I’m painting, sketching, working with wood or repurposing an object, I enjoy taking something ordinary and giving it a new story.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
For a long time, not having the opportunity to work in Interior Design made me question whether I had chosen the right major. Looking back now, I realize that my education never went to waste. It helped shape the artist I am today.
If I could speak to my younger self, I would tell her not to worry so much about whether her path looks the way she imagined it would. My background in Interior Design taught me to see beyond creativity alone. I think about color and aesthetics, but also about form, function, space and how something can be used or transformed.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that sometimes what we learn prepares us for something different from what we originally planned. I may never have followed the traditional path of an interior designer, but that part of me has been present in my art all along.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thepinkkitchensink.com
- Instagram: @latourcollect
