Nila Vanwolf (AU)

Artist Statement Taking inspiration from pop art, street art, comics and tattoo culture, I vibrantly explore the balance between the dark and light side of human nature through the world of pinups. Combining a contemporary, retro and decorative aesthetic is the result of a vast range of life experience.  One of my first memories is of gazing upon the vivid murals of multicolored gods of life and death on the temple walls in Nepal. Many years later I became a burlesque dancer, igniting my interest in 1950s pinups. Painting soon took over as I continued travelling the globe fascinated by both urban street art and old cultures which resulted in my work developing into a collision of rich colors and bold linework depicting playful pinups inhabiting a vivid pop art universe, yet sometimes ensconced in antiquity. Although exuding sensuality my work also embodies a fun innocence, mingling life, death, sexuality and spirituality without taboo, such as the sexy zombie motif or multi-coloured sirens tattooed in both skulls and flowers, frivolously reminding us of the polar opposite but intrinsically connected dimensions of beauty and decay. My work has been exhibited in galleries since 2006, and published in books including Zombook by Graffito, a collection of the worlds best zombie art. I continue to define my artistic voice while living between Australia and the Netherlands. Nila Vanwolf is part of the Amsterdam Street Art Foundation exhibition ‘Beyond the Streets’. This exhibition takes place from September 21 – November 3th 2013. [nggallery id=96]

Hoewel haar werk sensualiteit uitstraalt, gaat het ook over vrolijke onschuld, waarin leven, dood, sexualiteit en spiritualiteit taboeloos worden gemengd. In haar werk zijn sexy zombies en kleurrijke sirenen getatoeëerd op schedels te zien. Schoonheid en verval gaan hand in hand. Artist Statement Taking inspiration from pop art, street art, comics and tattoo culture, I vibrantly explore the balance between the dark and light side of human nature through the world of pinups. Combining a contemporary, retro and decorative aesthetic is the result of a vast range of life experience.  One of my first memories is of gazing upon the vivid murals of multicolored gods of life and death on the temple walls in Nepal. Many years later I became a burlesque dancer, igniting my interest in 1950s pinups. Painting soon took over as I continued travelling the globe fascinated by both urban street art and old cultures which resulted in my work developing into a collision of rich colors and bold linework depicting playful pinups inhabiting a vivid pop art universe, yet sometimes ensconced in antiquity. Although exuding sensuality my work also embodies a fun innocence, mingling life, death, sexuality and spirituality without taboo, such as the sexy zombie motif or multi-coloured sirens tattooed in both skulls and flowers, frivolously reminding us of the polar opposite but intrinsically connected dimensions of beauty and decay. My work has been exhibited in galleries since 2006, and published in books including Zombook by Graffito, a collection of the worlds best zombie art. I continue to define my artistic voice while living between Australia and the Netherlands. Nila Vanwolf is part of the Amsterdam Street Art Foundation exhibition ‘Beyond the Streets’. This exhibition takes place from September 21 – November 3th 2013. [nggallery id=96]