During a trip to Louisiana, I had the opportunity to visit Oak Alley Plantation and photograph the towering oaks that line the driveway leading to the mansion. It was from one of these photographs that I created this painting, capturing the soul of this tree steeped in history.

A silent witness to the passage of time, this majestic oak has witnessed the passing of generations. This grand avenue of trees was planted to impress the owner's guests. But behind the splendor of this avenue lurked a dark reality: this plantation was a place marked by slavery, where so many lives were shattered in the shadow of these very trees. If this tree could speak, it would undoubtedly recount the echoes of a painful past.

Now, the tree has found a new home in the Patate et Persil restaurant in Vaudreuil-Dorion. It is painted on a wooden table, where it will accompany meals, exchanges and shared moments. This oak, once a witness to suffering, now becomes the guardian of lighter conversations, laughter and confidences. It embodies memory, resilience and the passage of time.

Perhaps, as you look upon it, you'll hear an echo of its past, a discreet reminder of the history it bears in silence.