Nadia Attura’s distinctive style developed by accident. In an interview with Affordable Art Fair, the artist explains: “I was travelling in India and had my films processed there. I found later that the negatives were damaged, so I painted in the missing parts of the landscapes with photo emulsion ink. I preferred these images to the straightforward photographs, I liked the layering.”
The result is striking. Vibrant plants, cacti and flora bloom before saturated backgrounds. Desert landscapes are transformed into something new, where the shining sun is cerise pink and leaves are deep blue. Viewers can recognise reality in the images, whether that is a swimming pool hidden behind a plant or the glow of light from a window, but Attura’s collaging elevates these ordinary scenes to feel dreamlike.
The artist captures the world through both analogue and digital cameras, before fragmenting the scenes to create imagined landscapes. Attura applies washes, paints, ink and chalk onto the images, combining unexpected objects, settings and colours to construct surreal depictions of desirable destinations. The aim is to immerse viewers in a paradise, where they can escape into nature and feel a sense of wonder and awe. It is a feeling Attura can trace back to childhood: “In school, my dyslexia was undiagnosed and I was often labelled a daydreamer. It was in art that I found my language and my voice. I would draw tropical faraway lands and imagine myself in these exotic, perfect landscapes.”
These distinctive designs have been featured in Vogue, The New York Times, The Guardian, Ideal Home and Homes and Gardens. She regularly exhibits with her gallery Wills Art Warehouse at The Affordable Art Fair, and with The Other Art Fair and Saatchi Art in London, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.
Words: Emma Jacob
All images courtesy of the artist.
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