about.
"I use personal and symbolic iconography to construct narrative still life paintings. These still lives act as both self-portraiture and landscapes. The repeated use of rubber ducks stand in for myself as they navigate the often strange and nonsensical environment around them. The childhood toy as a floating, artificial version of an infant duck is a reflection on my own experiences of feeling ill-equipped and inadequate as I “float” through my real life. I utilize bright lighting and vivid color and juxtapose it with elements of dinginess and disrepair to further the strange and sometimes otherworldly atmosphere in my paintings. My work asks its viewers to playfully consider how they move throughout their own environments and to question whether any of it actually makes sense at all."
Raven Niekerk is a Florida native and painter who uses personal and symbolic iconography to construct narrative still life acrylic paintings that encourage playful consideration of our surroundings. She also has interest and knowledge in printmaking and sculpture. She graduated from Valencia College in 2020 with her AA in Fine Arts. She earned her BFA in Studio Art with a specialization in painting from the University of Central Florida in May 2023.
