Said Bouftass and Thyra Holst in 2017 in Berlin.
Said Bouftass and Thyra Holst met ten years ago. They clicked immediately, almost magically. They instantly understood that they shared the same vision of life and humanity. Their approaches are not different, but complementary. They then embarked on this wonderful adventure, sharing their work and philosophy throughout Europe, starting with Germany, then the United States, and finally Africa, beginning with Morocco. They also plan to explore Japan soon, and many other destinations besides.
An incredible human adventure has already begun!
Thyra Holst promotes intercultural understanding through art – with her non-profit organization kulturdialog e.V. and as a multidisciplinary artist with roots in classical ballet and modern dance.
In her intercultural textile art project BREAKING RULES, she brings her sensitive perception and her concepts into wearable art in collaboration with an experienced Pakistani fashion designer, using traditional craftsmanship – Aari embroidery, also known as Tambour. She understands her art garments, inspired by the Austrian artist Hundertwasser, as a Second Skin.
The encounter with Dr. Said Bouftass opens a new dimension: a shared journey into Phenomorphology.
Said Bouftass and Madeleine U Shalowitz, MD, MBA, in Chicago IL in 2024
Madeleine U Shalowitz, MD, MBA, FAAP is a physician who has worked with Dr Said Bouftass for almost three years, first as his student in Artistic Anatomy, and then as his collaborator and co-author. Now Dr Shalowitz serves as the editor of Dr Bouftass’ eight-volume series on phenomenology and artistic anatomy, the first of which covers the skull and the portrait is already in print, and the second, which covers the skeleton of the upper limb, is6 in development. Together they adapted and translated his previous work, Observational Drawing, Phenomorphological Meditations, from the original French to English. They remain committed to enhancing phenomenological opportunities for learners in art, the health professions, and the medical humanities, focused specifically on artistic anatomy. With these goals in mind, their first partnership with a US medical school was launched last year at Rush University Medical School in Chicago, IL. Dr Shalowitz and Dr Bouftass, scientist and artist, epitomize the power of observation from two different perspectives. Together they move closer to understanding the internal mental space to which people connect to their experience using the gaze. They have discovered the critical ways that his work in artistic anatomy can address the urgent need for health providers to stay connected to their own humanity and that of their patients.