In Times of Trouble: From the Collective to the Individual

Berlin-based artist Nadia Valeska Devonish presents In Times of Trouble: From the Collective to the Individual, which delves into the enduring interplay between collective experiences and personal histories during times of adversity. This exhibition weaves together oil and mixed media paintings to explore themes of hardship, resilience, and the human capacity to adapt and endure.

Drawing inspiration from family photographs taken in Germany, mainly between the 1930s and 1950s—a period marked by profound social upheaval— the works highlight intimate, individual stories of perseverance. These personal moments are contrasted with contemporary depictions of faceless crowds, which present a broader, anonymous, more abstract view of society. The juxtaposition of these eras, and the general and the particular, invites reflection on how personal stories and collective experiences are intertwined across time, showing both the unique and universal nature of struggle.

The pieces evoke a dialogue between past and present, where history informs our understanding of current challenges. Through dynamic textures, vibrant palettes, and layered compositions, the paintings convey both the energy of collective motion and the stillness of personal introspection. The largely bright and colorful tones serve as a counterpoint to the heaviness of the themes, offering a sense of resilience, hope, and the possibility of transformation.

Through this body of work, the artist reflects on the delicate balance between unity and individuality, crisis and endurance, ultimately reminding us of the human capacity to find strength amidst uncertainty.

Opening event 15. January, 5:30 - 8 pm

Artist's Biography

Born in Germany, Nadia emigrated to New Zealand with her family at the age of ten. She later began her studies at ELAM School of Fine Arts (University of Auckland) and continued to finish her degree in Spain, with scholarships for two semesters in Italy, and one semester in Chile. After also spending extended periods in Australia and England, Nadia moved to Berlin in 2015 to work as a freelance artist.

Inspired by her biography, marked by travel and numerous changes of location, as well as the associated search for her place in each environment, Nadia continuously takes up themes that focus on the human being and its ambivalent identity in the global and at the same time fragmented world. On the one hand, she is interested in the dialogue between the individual and space, the examination of one's own family history, and the question of what "family" actually means, the defusing of memory through blurring. At the same time, Nadia explores self-representation as a mixture of veiling and unveiling, the use of masks to speak about that which we hide, and the media's female ideal of beauty, the rituals of communication.

Nadia's oil paintings, mixed media on canvas and wood, ink, pencil, or chalk drawings are the result of a long working process in which she collects and processes material such as photographs (including family albums), sounds, sketches, and notes from the urban environment. For her, art is a means to preserve the temporary and ephemeral from disappearing and being forgotten.

Nadia was invited to paint a mural on one side of the pieces of the Berlin Wall in Christchurch, which can still be visited at Rauora Park on Cashel Street, between Manchester Street and Madras Street.