Abstract Terroir began in the vineyards - a project rooted in my early connection to wine and the landscapes that produce it.

This work explores place through color, using natural pigments made from grape skins, vine ash, soil, stones, and other foraged or salvaged materials. I extract these pigments using traditional methods, transforming what is found or left behind into paintings that hold the texture, rhythm, and spirit of the land.

My background winds through farm-to-table kitchens, vineyard rows, wine shops, and harvest seasons. It was in the world of wine that I first understood terroir not just as taste, but as time, labor, soil, and story - and it’s that understanding that fuels my art.

What started with winemakers has naturally grown into collaborations with farmers, cheesemakers, and those in hospitality - people whose lives are intertwined with the land and the materials it yields. Each piece becomes a way to hold their story, to celebrate their work in a new form.

Now, as a student of Gastronomy at the University of Gastronomic Sciences, I focus on agroecology, environmental health, food waste, and traditional ecological knowledge. These themes shape my practice as much as the materials I use. Each piece is an offering - a conversation between land, grower, and maker.

Abstract Terroir offers a new way to see the work of producers: not just through the glass, but on the canvas.

Ayelet Shastél