Exhibitions
Galerie Quynh
May 25 - Jul 27, 2024
The End Of The Territory, 2024, acrylic and pastel on canvas, 175 × 200 cm
All images courtesy Galerie Quynh. Artworks copyright Nadège David
“The forest eats itself and lives forever.” – Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible
But what happens if we eat the forest?
What does it mean for the forest to be consumed, and what will be left in its wake among our stark realities of environmental degradation and ecological imbalance?
Nadège David’s solo exhibition, We Ate The Forest, borrows its title from the 1957 book Nous avons mangé la forêt (We have eaten the forest), which refers to the agricultural practices of Vietnam's indigenous Mnong people and written by the late anthropologist Georges Condominas. David’s new paintings, situated in our current era of the Anthropocene, thrust us into dense, saturated forests filled with myths and tales that unfold in a world populated with animals and vegetation pulsating with vitality and energy.
Drawing inspiration from the naturalist and philosopher Alexander Von Humboldt (1769–1859) who emphasized both scientific study and emotional connection with nature, David elevates nature beyond serving as a backdrop for human activity, making it the central character in the multiple and complex narratives that play out in her fantastical scenes.
The Persistent Fantasy Of Substance, 2024, acrylic and pastel on canvas, 175 × 225 cm
I Will Chomp Your Head And Your Head, 2024, acrylic and pastel on canvas, 175 × 200 cm
On the Need to Contain, 2024, acrylic and pastel on canvas, 175 × 85 cm
The Empty Place Of Power, 2024
acrylic on paper, 39 × 27 cm
In The Persistent Fantasy of Substance, the contorted form of a wounded creature dominates, its back in an eerie twist; fish heads sway from tree boughs seemingly poised for flight or ascension in On the Need to Contain; and a pig is carried by the forest foliage, almost protected in I Will Crunch Your Head And Your Head.
Within the surreal tableaux, the aftermath of curious events plays out in a post-Anthropocene microcosm of the impact of the biological, physical, economic, and political activities of our current world.
Anatomy of a Biography II, 2024, acrylic and pastel on canvas, 175 × 85 cm
An Impeccable Mutuality, 2024, acrylic and pastel on canvas, 60 × 30 cm
The Outrage of Callisto II, 2024, acrylic on paper, 21 × 15 cm
Jenny: Dreadful and Painfully and Unpleasantly Human, 2024, pencil on paper, 21 × 15 cm
Nadège David (Born in 1975 in France) received an MA in Political Philosophy at University La Sorbonne, Paris, France and an MA in Contemporary Political Philosophy, University Paris VIII, Paris, France. She was a lecturer in Sociology at Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée, France between 2001 and 2005. David’s exhibitions include Transposition, Galerie Quynh x Rhim22, Seoul, South Korea, Experience sweet and relaxing dreams, Mai’s Gallery, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and of reveries and obsessions, Soil-Less®, Carne Vale, Dept. of Speculation, and Neverwhere at Galerie Quynh, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
In Nadège David's work, anatomy, flesh, and nature merge in a complex configuration, erasing the hierarchies established by language and the senses, and unveiling stories of interconnected beings. Drawing from the scientific perspectives of ethology and naturalism, David’s narratives play out in lush, luminous forests often populated with fantastical creatures and amorphous and hybrid life forms. The dynamic relationship between color and drawing underpins the ethos of her work. While maintaining a focus on the relationship between the individual, the body, and the world, David gradually shifts away from representing human forms in her new work, allowing for a powerful emergence of natural entities. Amid the vibrant dialogue of color and gestural figures, the environment becomes the main actor, creating its own inhabitants.
