08 october 2024, Flor Linckens
Last chance: the human psyche in Andrei Nițu's 'Garden of Lies'
Until 12 October, Galerie Stigter Van Doesburg in Amsterdam presents the solo exhibition 'Garden of Lies' by Andrei Nițu. In this exhibition, the Romanian artist explores the concept of lies as a form of protection. Nițu imagines lies as a metaphorical garden where individuals — and societies and cultures on a wider scale — can shelter from their deepest fears, including the ultimate fear: the fear of death. His paintings invite the viewer to reflect on the price we pay for this distance from our own vulnerability and mortality, a distance we create ourselves through rituals, objects and myths.
Nițu has developed his artistic practice from a profound fascination with the human psyche and the motivations behind our behaviours. He is intrigued by how images and objects come into being and the implicit societal values and archetypes embedded within them. In his work, he combines traditional oil painting with modern techniques such as airbrushing, creating a blend of historical and contemporary layers. The paintings in this exhibition are composed in a cinematic manner, resulting in a visually striking and multi-layered experience that references the manipulative power of painting through the ages. Just as cinema often distorts reality through storytelling, Nițu uses painting as a means to deconstruct romantic images and clichés. Through this, he raises the question: What fears are we trying to conceal and at what cost? Yet Nițu’s paintings do not offer easy answers. Instead, they invite a deeper exploration of humanity’s drive for control and certainty.
