Forging a symbiotic mutation between figuration and abstraction, Nadia Ayari’s compositions take a constellation of protagonists drawn from the flora of her own native North Africa. In her piece Repose (2024), the petals, the leaves and the branches, etc. are recurring symbols set against a spectrum of an orange tone, protruding out of diagonal stems. The abundant yet subtle repetition of these demarcated motifs in her work anchors configurations of abstracted still-life images, like a poetry suspended in motion. Employing oil paint and embracing its messiness, her brushwork yields to a layering process on boldly coloured backgrounds, where her motifs face either upward or downward, evoking a sense of an intense gravity. As the artist puts it, “my work tackles narratives of survival. Lately, I have been exploring images where, against all odds, my paintings’ branches, pink flowers and leaves are thriving; either by being in motion or in connection with one another”.