Terracotta Cake Collaboration – Part 3

Hello, I’m Meriem Falek from MayBel’s cakes . I am an Algerian -based cake artist that creates and designs one of a kind, handcrafted, artistic cakes.

Until 4 years ago i was a university professor in the national institute of Quality, Health, Security and Environment QHSE .

She found her passion for cookies by accident about 7 years ago. She came from the banking and consulting industries and knew nothing about royal icing or cookies but taught herself anyway. After six months of practice she entered a contest and won! This changed her life.

She is now an international teacher of her signature style dimensional piping with coloured royal icing. She has spent the last 5 ½ years teaching in 32 countries to over 1,800 students.

She is currently teaching as well on on-line platforms such as Zoom Livestream for over 1.000 students. She is also frequently asked to judge cookie competitions for prestigious competitions all over the world, including Cake International where she is now an Official Judge.

She has been featured in many international magazines, either with her work and interviews, National TV interviews, and even had a Portuguese publication release a special edition of just her work.

She enjoys doing collaborations as it gives her a chance to create pieces that are more complex and challenge her to create more three dimensional and realistic work.

The Four Symbols (Chinese: 四象; pinyin: Sì Xiàng, literally meaning “four images”), are four mythological creatures appearing among the Chinese constellations along the ecliptic, and viewed as the guardians of the four cardinal directions. These four creatures are also referred to by a variety of other names, including “Four Guardians”, “Four Gods”, and “Four Auspicious Beasts”. They are the Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermilion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise (also called “Black Warrior”) of the North. Each of the creatures is most closely associated with a cardinal direction and a color, but also additionally represents other aspects, including a season of the year, a virtue, and one of the Chinese “five elements”(wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). Each has been given its own individual traits and origin story. Symbolically, and as part of spiritual and religious belief, these creatures have been culturally important across countries in the East Asian cultural sphere.

Born and raised in Zambia to Egyptian parents and the eldest of three, I’m a stay-at-home Mom to two teenagers and currently live in the Orlando area of Florida, USA.