Emerging Artist Nadine Wiepning’s new body of work aims to illustrate the idea that “everything affects everything” and that our deep interconnectedness does at once threaten and save us.
This feature artist show, entitled “In Spirit We Are All One,” features oil on canvas that are abstract nature with a twist of surrealism.
Wiepning describes her work at addressing the damage inflicted on the body of Gaia – Earth goddess in Greek mythology – and her inhabitants.
“We have entered a time of great upheaval, uncertainty, and massive changes, yet we hold the solutions in our hands and hearts,” Wiepning said.
Only by becoming aware of the pain and suffering of the Earth’s biosphere and its many inhabitants and transforming that anger into healing, creative love, can we be empowered to take action to create the better world we all long for, she said.
In the main piece, with the same title as the show, the artist employed different techniques to guide the viewer’s eye throughout the serene painting – using bold lines that fade away and disappear, only to be rediscovered and move along to the next image, a tree goddess or a sheer cliff splashed by waves that unfurl into the night sky.
This new body of work is almost 10 years in the making. After graduating from the fine arts program at Georgian College in 2001, Wiepning took time away from painting to complete her bachelor of arts degree in global studies at Malaspina University-College in 2006. Since then, the state of the world and the needed solutions inspired this series of paintings.
The exhibition is up at the downtown Nanaimo Art Gallery Aug. 11-23. Opening reception is Thursday (Aug. 11), 3-5 p.m., with Wiepning giving a short talk at 4 p.m.
Giclee prints will be available for sale.
For more information, please call 250-754-1750.
