Meet the Artist: Nadia Attura

As a child, I found art the perfect place for dreams. 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. 

I loved documentaries about jungles and lost hidden natural worlds. I read books about the Amazon and epic travel journeys. My dream was to be a photographer, for National Geographic, recording the natural wonders of our beautiful planet. At The University of The Arts in London I did my postgraduate in Photojournalism. I worked in photography for about 16 years; there is a thrill attached to capturing the perfect moment, using the light to tell the story.

But my work was much more people focused and I was telling the story of other people, I felt a detachment from the natural world which I craved. The year my daughter was born, I promised her that by the time she would be 5 years old, I would be in a field painting beside her and that would be how I made a living to support us. I could not promise myself this so I had to promise her. I worked so hard to make this happen, a newborn child, working still in photography but also creating my art. 

Looking back, three highlights stand out. First, exhibiting at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 2016. It was only my second year exhibiting as an artist so it meant the absolute world to me. It still shocks me every time that I am accepted into the RA. Second, being represented by Will’s Art Warehouse and showing at Affordable Art Fair in 2020. I had visited the fair as a collector, I was always in awe of the artists who were being shown there, so much talent. Lastly, creating the 25th Silver Anniversary Print for Affordable Art Fair was a tremendous honour. It is a privilege to be an artist and to be able to interpret your feelings and thoughts in a tangible way, and have it resonate with others.

“My style has evolved through a series of happy accidents, making mistakes and learning along the way.”

3. How has your style evolved over time? Have there been any artists or movements that have influenced your journey as an artist?

My style has evolved from single documentary images to collage driven stories through a series of happy accidents, making mistakes and learning along the way.

I was travelling in India and had my films processed there as I travelled. 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.

I was deeply inspired by David Hockey’s photo collage Pearblossom Highway, where he has photographed the road from multiple angles. I love the feeling he created using this method of collage, so I began working in this way and instantly knew this was the narrative I was looking for to tell my stories from nature. 

Interior designer Petra Arko asked me once if I had any cactus images with flowers. I did not, so she asked me to add the flowers, which I did and I fell in love with this way of working. Adding uncanny elements within my work, tropical flowers on Cacti, placing cacti on tropical riverbanks, adding flamingos and jaguars, all happily cohabiting in an otherworldly utopia.  

I draw inspiration from Renaissance landscape painting and Botanical illustrations from the 18^th and 19^th Century too.  In Renaissance landscapes, it’s the quality of light and colour that captivates me, as for botanical illustrations, I love the detail in these discovered plants, theses botanical treasures evoke a sense of wonderment and awe.

4. Your artwork often merges the real and the surreal, transporting us to gorgeous distant, hazy realms… What inspires your aesthetic?

5. Is there a particular message or feeling that you want viewers to take away from your art? 

I want viewers to escape into nature, surround yourself, feel the wonder, feel the calm and peace, like a botanical nature led meditation. I live in London and yearn for space and green, abundant, flora-rich habitats. I collect these elements when traveling and recreate the immersive feeling of being there in a surreal ethereal world back home. 

“Making art is my meditation, it is my well-being, it transports me into places I long to be surrounded by.” 

6. Can you tell us more about your creative process. What’s the most gratifying part? 

When I am in the studio I begin cutting out and collaging my photographs in Photoshop. I create a template, then from this I make prints on cotton paper which I can draw and paint onto. I photograph these elements back into the collage and create my final limited-edition works. The most gratifying part of the process is the journey that the work takes me on. I never know where it will lead me. I work on multiple pieces simultaneously, each one informing the other, it helps me keep focused. When I am lost in one work, I find a way in another. When one work is finished it tells me and I cannot add anything else. The joy is when the work finally reveals itself to me. 

7. Can you describe a piece from your collection that holds a special place in your heart? What’s the story behind it? 

I tend to feel most attached to my latest piece, perhaps I feel it still needs work. It’s a bit like choosing your favourite child. However, a still image from Sardinia holds special resonance for me. I went to the coast when my partner, who has bipolar type one, was very ill and in recovery. I needed to go somewhere to be quiet, to be alone, to not hear any noise. So I took myself to the sea. Here, I stared at the Mediterranean and took photographs. There is one still image which when I look at I find such peace and tranquillity from, reminiscent of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s work, it is so quiet and gentle. 

“I am super proud to be a little part of this incredible art family [Affordable Art Fair] who have inspired so many artists to be the best that they can be.” 

8. And finally, what are you most looking forward to about Affordable Art Fair Battersea Autumn? 

Celebrating 25 years of the Affordable Art Fair, what an epic achievement! I am super proud to be a little part of this incredible Art family who have inspired so many artists to be the best that they can be. 

Join us to celebrate 25 years of Affordable Art Fair at Battersea Park (16 – 20 October 2024), where you can purchase Nadia’s limited-edition print. Alternatively you can buy it online here, via Will’s Art Warehouse.