Interview
Christine Anne Nightingale
Born in Santiago, Chile, Christine was marked from a young age by a strong artistic vocation. Daughter, niece and granddaughter of artists, Christine initiated her art career professionally in her 30s, after moving back to her country of origin.
Christine lived in the United States and Brazil, where she completed her Bachelor of Design. She is a professional mixed media artist. She mainly paints colorful acrylics that portray themes of human connection with one another, with nature and with their higher selves. Her work is influenced by vintage photography, ancient art and different art movements like Surrealism, post-Impressionism and symbolism.
Living in Florida, Christine has been participating in different art shows in the South Florida area. She is currently preparing for a solo exhibition.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I was born in Santiago, Chile, into a family of artists and art lovers. My mother, my paternal grandmother and uncle are all painters. My maternal grandfather collected art, mostly Chilean painters. So I grew up living the art experience completely, watching my family members paint and with paintings hanging everywhere around the house. As a teenager, I moved with my family to the United States where I started to dive deeply into painting, to find my identity as an immigrant in a new country and culture.”
“Dreams are limitless and magical. Everything is possible, just like art! I create art as I create my dreams. And I believe this world needs more magic.”
What inspires you?
“Anything can be inspiring. It’s about observing, and then making something out of what you observe. But what mostly catches my attention is nature. Nature is perfect. It’s divine. That connection with the world, with nature, with the stars - that’s inspiring to me. Add to that the mystery of ancient cultures, different beliefs and how at the end, everything is connected. The dream world is inspiring as well because I’m very connected to my dreams. I always remember them when I wake up.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“In my work, you can see themes that show human experiences of connection with one another, with nature, and with our higher selves. The human figure is very present, mostly women because of our power of creation and our plurality. Every painting is a meditation, expressing that desire of living, that exact moment, diving into the painting and being part of each brush stroke.
You’ll also find themes of spirituality, self discovery, dreams and personal growth with a touch of mystery, using different symbols and mythological characters.”
How would you describe your work?
“I would describe my work as pleasurable and colorful paintings that evoke and relate with the collective unconscious. An art curator once called my work meta-realist, which I agree. Meta means both through and beyond the reality we can all see. Meta-realism is the realism of the hyperphysical nature of things. It appeals to the superconscious. It exists in the realm of imagination and magic, and in the senses of the higher self and mind. My art portrays where our visions and dreams may take us. It blurs lines between fantasy and reality, paying homage to the imagination, altered states, beauty and the process of creating worlds.”
Which artists influence you most?
“There are so many artists that influence my work. Picasso’s spontaneity of drawing inspires my work. Dali’s creativity and dream world. Van Gogh’s movement and use of color. Klimt’s female and organic shapes and patterns. Gauguin’s colors and women’s paintings. Sorolla’s mastering the use of light. Klint’s simplicity and spirituality. O’keeffe’s love for nature. There are so many!”
“Art is communication. I believe that if I was good with words, I would be a writer. But I’m good with images and color, and that’s what I communicate with.”
What is your creative process like?
“I love to spend hours doing image research. I look for all kinds of images that are inspiring to me. I love vintage photography, the human body, architecture, ancient history, different cultures, nature, esotericism and more. I analyze a feeling and then externalize it by creating something visual. Expressing my internal vision through images is my own therapy. I create because that’s what I do. I need to. It’s like putting together a puzzle — connecting abstract ideas, thoughts and feelings into something concrete and visual. The process of creating art is one of constant learning, and mostly of self discovery.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Artists can have multiple roles in society, but their most important role is bringing hope and light to humanity. Bringing hope of a better world where you can live doing what you love. As artists, we express universal emotion. We unearth the truth, illuminate the margins and make social changes. We provide new ideas to society that bring light to the shadows. With art, we tell stories that connect and inspire people around the world. We record and preserve human history. We bring awareness about different issues, and are ambassadors of the natural world.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I have shown my work in a number of exhibitions. These are:
2021:
- Artistas de las Americas at The Box Gallery in West Palm Beach, Florida.
- Collective show at Moldova Gallery in Boca Raton, Florida.2020:
- Showing at The Gallery Lounge Boca.
- The Future is Now. Group show of international artists at Color Senses Project in Miami.2018:
- Equidad. Collective show at Café Brunet in Santiago, Chile.”
