Florence unframed
Italian urban artist Nian explores the mutual interplay between the female body and nature, with perception acting as the bridge between them.
Florence, Italy: a city that holds some of the emblems and jewels of the Renaissance and the Baroque periods, considered by many to be the most important in the art historical canon. The ancient street and architectural marvels act as a tube containing the throngs of tourists as they push and shove their way to see the characteristic attractions–Michelangelo’s David, Duccio’s Maesta, or Giotto’s Madonna. Although not as commonly known or admired, the streets of Florence and Italy are generally strewn with Tabernacles, these outdoor architectural structures often contain frescoes or sculptures of Mary and Christ and were originally constructed during the time of the Romans as a means of protection and to demonstrate their faith. These small frescoes often depict moments in saintly or biblical history, and more often than not, show the iconographic figures of the Madonna and child. Although these pieces do not fall under what we would normally call ‘street art’, they acted as some of the first examples of public art strewn across the city.
Florence, somewhat unexpectedly, has a thriving urban art community and it could be theorized that the over-tourism and the severance that locals feel towards their museum and cultural institutions has created a void that is slowly being filled by the subversive and democratic nature of urban art. Walking through the crowded streets of Florence, observant eyes may notice and see the connections between the stoic and gentle faced Madonnas in the tabernacles, a manifestation of the sacred feminine, as well as other forms of sacred femininity as depicted by the contemporary artist Nian whose archetypal and sacred murals line the streets; often found in places one would least expect.
Nian is a young visual artist who was born near Florence in 1990. She demonstrated artistic skill from an early age and her curiosity to create led her down the path of pursuing her talents. She eventually enrolled in the Accademia di Belle Arte in Florence where she specialized in painting. Later on, she attended a course on Art Therapy, where she further developed her skills and learned about the healing power of art. Art for Nian became a mode to continue working on her images and ideas. Nian submits herself to specific feminine inquiries and issues but does so in a subversive way. Not by engaging directly with today’s discourses and inserting herself in already existing narratives, she instead revolves back to the ancient past. She meditates on the mitochondrial essence of femininity existing in neolithic art and depictions of the goddess. As she states in her own words,
I find the Neolithic period to be an extraordinarily fascinating and meaningful time… especially the deep connection between human beings, nature, and the sacred. I am particularly fascinated by the representation of the feminine during the Neolithic period. Female figures were often associated with symbols of fertility, rebirth, and power. Artistic representations of women in connection with sacred animals such as the snake goddess and bird goddess reflect a deep respect for nature and life itself.
Nian’s artistry is a self-informing process based on her development both personally and stylistically. She explores concepts related to the body, space, female symbolism and deities. Nian sights Merlin Stone, Carol Christ, and Marija Gimbutas as artistic inspirations. These philosophers and thinkers have all made significant contributions to the knowledge of women and feminist symbolism in history, mythology, and archaeology by studying ancient cultures and the neolithic period. They have challenged traditional narratives and encouraged a reevaluation of ancient cultures and religious traditions from a feminist perspective, highlighting not only the presence and significance of women in these realms but also the differentiated symbolic field that existed in these times. Merlin Stone is best known for her groundbreaking work, When God Was a Woman, in which she explores the role of women and the prevalence of goddess worship in ancient civilizations. Similarly, Marija Gimbutas was an archaeologist and anthropologist known for her work on the Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures of Europe, particularly in the areas of mythology, symbolism, and gender roles. She is renowned for her theory of the Old European Culture or Goddess Culture, which posits the existence of a pre-Indo-European matriarchal society in ancient Europe. Carol Christ is a feminist theologian and scholar who has focused on the study of women's spirituality and the reconfiguration of religious traditions from a feminist perspective. Nian uses these theorists and researchers as a forum to transcend back in time and simultaneously see and experience what different modes of existence were like. Through this practice, she is better able to re-interpret past ideas and symbols, creating an expansive code to follow in the construction of contemporary female identity.
Nian’s character and soul permeate the essence of her works as the paintings and murals depict figures, similar to her, that are concomitantly strong, shy, gentle, innovative, and social. Her exploration of the body takes center stage within her artistic practice and is often depicted using solid and soft colors, such as blues, greens and deep reds, that seem to flow within the elongated and flexible figures. Similar to women and feminist histories, her figures take up spaces in ways that are individually unique and harmonious. Stretching the canvas and interacting with space in fluid and symbiotic ways. Through her stylistic evolution, we can see the use and adoption of elements of magical realism, as many of the qualities of her work entwine hues of whimsy and enchantment, often tied together with other symbols and objects that invoke nature and beauty.
The concept of space remains important to Nian and her artistic practice, both from the point of view of working within the urban realm and her figure’s interaction with space in ways that are both fluid and intractable. Nian cites The Poetics of Space by Gaston Bachelard, which explores how physical space affects the human psyche by emphasizing the emotional and symbolic significance of spaces. Bachelard's work highlights the intimate connection between our experiences of space, our memories, and our imaginative faculties. He demonstrates how our interaction with spaces, both architectural and natural, has a profound impact on our emotions, thoughts, and creative expressions. Furthermore, since our conception of space is realized by our connection to being bound by the body, Nian also highlighted critical French phenomenologist Maurice Merleau-Ponty, whose theories on body, perception, and space, emphasize the importance of embodiment and how our lived experiences shape our understanding of the world. Merleau-Ponty provides a rich and holistic account of human perception that has had a profound impact on philosophy, psychology, and cognitive science, contributing to the development of embodied perception and phenomenological approaches to understanding human experience.
An integral characteristic of Nian’s work is the concept of the stretching body, how the figures may seem to be flexing and reaching, contouring their limbs in fluid but exaggerated forms that allow them to interact with the space both on the canvas and on the street in more fulfilling ways. An important aspect of Merleau-Ponty was the proposition that “the intertwining" or "chiasm," suggests that the subject and the world are inseparable and co-constitutive. There is a mutual interplay between our body and the world, with perception acting as the bridge between them. This concept challenges the Cartesian dualism that separates the self from the external world.
Nian expands upon this theory in her artistic practice by nurturing a deep relationship with nature in her life, through creative and theoretical expression. Although a comparison can be made between the sweeping and rolling Tuscan landscape and the soft forms of her figures, the inspiration and the motivation for integrating the essence of nature within her artistic practice comes from a more interior experience. She is more concerned with the type of influence and feelings that arise within herself and how those images can be translated into the canvas or the wall. Nian uses the research of the above scholars to frame and develop the personal significance of how nature and the rhythms of daily life inform her practice.
Today, with the current ecological concerns and worries, there has been a tendency to codify nature as something existing outside the realm of human existence—as either a means for resources, something to be protected and preserved in a dangerous wilderness, or a space for leisure activity. This current conception has strayed away from the original relationship our early ancestors had with nature as the beginning and basis for life itself. As she states,
In my artistic journey, I find myself investigating the intimate connections between femininity and nature. As I explore the human body, its movement, and interwoven compositions, I cannot help but notice how these elements invoke themes related to the very essence of nature. The female body, in its diversity and complexity, seems to echo the same variety found in nature; the curves and folds of the body recall the fluid lines of natural elements, such as the waves of the sea, the curves of rivers, and the silhouettes of hills. Through my painting, I try to capture this harmony between body shape and natural forms, emphasizing how femininity is in tune with the rhythms of the natural world.
Nian’s work reminds us of the level of harmony and symbiosis that exists within nature and how humans too are intrinsically tied to the beat of the natural world and the cyclical notions within time. In Nian’s world, existence and essence are subjected to a broader sense of connection orienting oneself and the figures always in relationship to something else. We are reminded that it is through the connection, the context, the myth, and the symbol that gives meaning and power to life. In doing so, she creates a certain modern-day “sacred space”, echoing Mirce Eliade’s conceptualization of the so-called sacred and the profane; theories that captured the organization and designation of certain areas that held special meanings and existed as an axis mundi in which all other life-related. Nian’s pieces, both in the street and studio, embody a certain historical essence of symbols of goddesses and sacred femininity that stir a primal and deep inner knowing within us all. Through her work, she is reawakening the cyclical notions of time as it relates to rebirth and change. As she states,
Femininity, like nature, is intrinsically linked to cyclicity and rebirth. In my work, I try to capture these themes through the expressiveness of the female body, which becomes a vivid symbol of change, growth, and renewal, much like the seasonal cycles of nature.
Nian recalls past symbols, such as snakes and birds that gave significance to femininity and female power. In doing so, she puts a historical narrative in a contemporary context, in which the power of femininity is restored. Her current project incorporates vases and sacred water bearers which echo the ancient tools our ancestors used to carry and share goods and materials, often creating trade and social networks, dispersing culture, and helping survival. The reinstitution of such historical narratives and symbols, goes against the prevailing patriarchal narrative of the spear, a masculine weapon, being the first invention and tool.
Nian incorporates her physical experience of the world into her artistic practice. Urban art, perhaps more than other mediums, demands the artist utilize their bodies to a higher degree to find spaces for murals and interact with the texture and physical makeup of the wall. Urban art, similar to many different stylistic movements and artistic periods, has been colored by masculinity and the belief that it is a male world. This is largely to do with the genesis of what has turned into urban art takes its genesis urban art, particularly graffiti, emerged in the late 20th century within subcultures like hip-hop and skateboarding. These subcultures were predominantly male, and graffiti was often seen as an expression of masculinity and rebellion. As a result, women had limited access to these spaces from the beginning. Accompanied by beliefs and concerns of safety within the public and urban realm further solidified the idea that urban art was not a space for women. When asked about her own experience being a woman and inserting her femininity within the urban art world, Nian responded with a quiet strength and confidence also found in artistic creations, saying
While it is true that the field of murals is and has been historically male-dominated, I prefer not to focus on the concept of gender difference because I believe that emphasizing this distinction can perpetuate a disparity that we should instead overcome. In my work, I have found no significant differences in performance difficulty based on gender. Of course, it is true that on some occasions I have noticed a kind of distrust on the part of some people observing my work, especially when it involves operating machinery or moving heavy objects. However, I have found that this distrust quickly disappears when I demonstrate my skills concretely. These moments actually make me smile because they show how prejudices can be dismantled by concrete actions and obvious skills. I think it is important to emphasize that talent and creativity are not related to gender but to passion and dedication. Art is a universal language that embraces all who wish to express it, regardless of who they are.
Nian works to make the language of art more accessible to the community of Florence and Italy in general. She is a founder of Artiglieria, an arctic and cultural institution that was founded in 2020. The fundamental goal of Artiglieria is to create a collective dimension through the confrontation between different individuals and disciplines, with the idea of building a network of collaboration with multidisciplinary realities both locally, nationally, and internationally. Artiglieria uses art and culture as means of participation and social integration. The mission is to open the doors of our space to individuals and emerging realities that, through a contemporary perspective, promote ideas and projects aimed at enhancing and innovating the Florentine art scene.
In terms of her artistic projects, Nian is currently collaborating with the photographer Bifdo. The two of them together investigate form and essence, through their joint project entitled, “The Midnight Project”, where Bifdo takes a photo or portrait that is emblematic of an individual’s essence or character. Nian then moves to integrate an animal or fantastical creature, weaving in the painting within the photograph. She does this by painting part of the photograph, leading to multi-media works that resemble a sort of mask that combines several points of self-expression. Through this project, Nian is further able to explore and link various mediums of art as well as the natural and human realms, creating pieces that explore the essence of personal stories and animal archetypes. She does this by painting part of the photograph, leading to multi-media works that resemble a sort of mask that combines several points of self-expression.
Nian’s practice, at its core, is archetypal and mythological in the way that she can recall and reawaken ancient stories, feelings, and symbols and weave them into the 21st century. When looking at her art, I am reminded of a famous quote from the Orphean Passage, the author writes "To comprehend the experience one is living in, he must, by imagination and by intellect, be lifted out of it. He must be given to see it whole; but since he can never wholly gaze upon his own life while he lives it, he gazes upon the life that, in a symbol, comprehends his own… Myth...is such a symbol." Nian provides us with a sort of code in how we might live differently and how we might relate to one another differently.
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