In 2014, fate brought Florence to Northern Iraq with her husband. There, she quickly recognized vast humanitarian needs and offered her services to a local NGO, Kurdistan Save the Children. She started by improving children's spaces in hospitals, schools, and emergency centers. Shocked by the dreariness of the Syrian refugee camps, she initiated her own project in the fall of 2016, bringing a splash of color to the gray cinder block homes. She visited the families in their shelters in the Arbat camp and asked them to share some of their childrens’ creations.
Using those drawings as inspiration, she enlarged them into large 7’x7’ paintings outside their homes. Soon Arbat camp was dotted with bursts of color expressing the hopes and dreams of the children. On display for all to see, these murals became a source of pride for the children and the community. They have completed over 50 murals with another 10 to be finished soon. |
Her goal was to use her artistic talents to bring more color and life to the camp’s surroundings.
Painting on a daily basis with the children, she got to know the Syrian families well and was often invited to share special moments with them all, taking part in weddings, happy and sad celebrations, even sometimes staying overnight at the camp. She now wants to do more to help. It appears to her that teenagers are the ones struggling the most, with very little to do and to hope for. They have the possibility to attend the school of the camp until high school graduation. After that, there is no opportunity for them to continue their studies. Yet, some of them have great potential, and are eager to pursue their education. This is what prompted her to contact the American University in Sulaymani (AUIS), the only American university in Iraq, with the purpose of establishing a scholarship fund to finance the five-year studies of young Syrian refugees. Florence Robichon was born in France and grew up in Morocco, where her talent flourished in a very different culture and rich artistic environment. She later studied in Paris at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués et des Métiers d'Art, graduating with a diploma in Interior Architecture and Design. She participated in various large projects for a music conservatory in Bordeaux, the city hall’s design in Grenoble, and the International School of the Peninsula in Silicon Valley, California.
A mother of six, Louis, Theo, Marguerite, Emile, Angèle and Jules Goguely, Florence Robichon’s creative nature thrives in the presence of children and on professional projects involving children’s spaces; she also loves experimenting with different art forms such as creating murals. In 2009, she painted the giant mural on the Stanford Terrace Inn with artist Peng-Peng Wang, contributed to Sunset magazine, or conducted prestigious projects in interior architecture. Having lived in many different cultures she continues to travel extensively. To Florence, children have always been a great source of inspiration and personal enrichment. In her personal and professional life, she strives to nurture each child’s artistic spirit, intellectual curiosity, and unique personality. Florence is dedicated to the well being of children and families. |
Reza Deghati |
"This work of Florence with the Arbat children is wonderful and very touching. From the beginning, I thought it was deep and enchanting." |