Statement

My work is informed by my experiences of displacement and migration, and by the relationship between the body and the places we move through. I think about the ways each can leave traces on the other, and the shared patterns between the body and its surroundings.

I work with earth, charcoal, leaves, resin, paint and thread, often using materials gathered from the landscape around me. These materials already carry something of their places of origin, and I am interested in what happens when they become part of the work.

My process is slow. I work through repetition, layering and observation, allowing the materials and the process to influence what happens. This gives me time to notice small changes and respond to them. I don't always know where a work will end up when I begin, and I leave space for that uncertainty.

Background

 Nina Rupena is a Bosnian-born Australian artist living and working on Ngadjuri Country in the Barossa Valley, South Australia. She holds a Master of Visual Art and Design (Painting) from the University of South Australia and has worked as a professional artist for more than two decades.

Working across painting, illustration, installation and collaborative public art, Rupena has exhibited throughout Australia and internationally. Her practice has included solo and group exhibitions, site-specific public artworks, community collaborations and artist residencies in Malaysia. She has collaborated with artists, designers, cultural institutions and community organisations on exhibitions, film projects and art initiatives.