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    [](#)[](#) French actress and model Loan Chabanol took two years off from the big screen and dove deep into practicing meditation and creating what would become her third art showcase, NAMSIS. We visited the opening at the SHOW Gallery in Los Angeles to view her pieces (there through March 1) and chat with her about the work. **What was your inspiration for this show?** Meditation. I got into meditation three years ago. I started practicing a lot and found inner peace. I felt it was something that was going to change my life to the fullest. As I was meditating, I started to see a form that became singular… NAMSIS. I was looking for something dreamy. I want to make people feel like in a cotton world, surrounded by clouds and softness. Remind them of the early childhood, when we were in our own world and pure. We are all one and all connected. We all have flaws and we all go through things in life. What we have inside us needs to be expressed in art to bring people together, because we need each other. **What does the name NAMSIS mean?** I am a quarter Vietnamese and ‘Nam’ in Vietnamese has one meaning of “The Third Eye.” Also, I am very attracted to the Egyptian culture, the time of pharaohs and I wanted a name that would relate to that. Something sacred but in our “NOW time “NAMSIS would represent someone powerful, who could change things and bring people together. **What was the first piece?** The first piece I’ve created will be in my next show, in collaboration with La DUREE Beverly Hills. I am bringing a “masculine” NAMSIS element to the feminine space of the famous macaroons. It will be very avant-garde. **Part of your sales goes to the APJ Foundation.** I visited Haiti two years ago. I was grateful to get the opportunity to do an Art Talk to the students there. I learned all about their lives, their culture and religion. It brought me some kind of understanding of what it is to be able to live the moment right now because ultimately it’s all we have. With the help of APJ and Picsart, we will keep building new projects to help bring awareness to the young generation. * * * Written by Linda Nyvltova Photos by Natalie Benesova