In softness, yet delivering a clear message.
That’s what defines Lily for us. She whispers where others shout. She speaks gently, as if afraid her words aren’t meant to be heard — as if they might be less important. Or perhaps precisely because she gives voice to what often remains unspoken, through her art?

Lily feels that, as a female artist, she has to prove herself more. And yet her work refuses to be ignored; it demands attention and invites reflection. Her art is no luxury — the message she brings is all the more essential.

She searches everywhere, seeking to breathe new life into what lies behind glass. She tries to avoid the recycling center these days, often returning home with more than she intended to drop off. For Lily, creativity often begins with discarded objects — shards, washed-up remnants, or forgotten pieces of wood. All of them starting points for new life.

An artist who shapes with her hands what lives in her mind: paintings, sculptures, ceramics, set designs, photography, architecture, even record sleeves for Urbanus and Trol. A creative all-rounder with a dislike for paperwork and a deep love for all things tangible.

To alumni of the Royal Athenaeum Centrum Ostend, her name may sound familiar. She is indeed the youngest daughter of Willy Rappelet (1929–2017), former dean and economist at KAO. Lily herself is a former student of the Royal Lyceum and graduated as a teacher of visual arts from the state teacher training college in Bruges. She taught in De Haan and at the Ostend art academy, before securing a permanent position at KTA II STIMJO — now the Ensor Institute — where she remained until retirement.

Her creativity continued well beyond the classroom. She exhibited her work frequently, earning multiple awards and recognitions. In 2002, she was selected for the West Flanders Four-Year Prize. In 2009, she won second prize in the sculpture competition Nieuwpoort Dreams. In 2010, she was awarded the painting prize by the Vermeylenfonds and selected for Kunstsalon Sant, the Bruges Biennale for Visual Arts.

Every artwork tells a story, often carrying a necessary message — never finger-pointing, but inviting contemplation. Her themes usually revolve around what we do or don’t respect, revere too much or not enough. What gets ignored or overhyped. What deserves attention — or perhaps doesn’t — yet remains unresolved. She wants people to reflect on what we are doing to our world and all the creatures on it. The destruction of a planet where neither plant nor animal is at fault, yet both are forced to adapt to the consequences of our actions.

Now retired, she thought she’d have more time to create. But like many retirees, she finds the days too short. Fortunately, she now shares her love of art, nature, food, and life with her grandchildren.

Lily continues to experiment, to grow, and to create. Each artwork is a way of exploring and feeling to share her vision.