The nipple discussion, online as well as offline, is one one the controversial topics raising questions about hypersexualisation, censorship and norms. On Instagram, a visible female nipple could cause an indefinite ban from the network, when just not long ago on Tumblr, nipple imagery was seen as a form of artistic expression, not sexual provocation. Opened in October 2021, the Nomadic Art Gallery, based in Leuven, is now opening its second group exhibition ‘Nipple Twist,’ showcasing unique artwork by New Zealand based artists, merged in dialogue with European artists.
Left: Pink Gold, Oliver Cain. Right: Purple White, Oliver Cain. Image Courtesy of Nomadic Art Gallery.
Exploring the controversial and conflicting associations around the nipple, the art gallery is exhibiting the works of New Zealander Oliver Cain and Chloe Marsters and Belgium based artists Merijn Verhelst, Amat Gueye, and Layla Saâd.
Untitled 1, 2021, Merijn Verhelst. Image Courtesy of Nomadic Art Gallery.
Nipple Twist is a contemporary exhibition, exploring the connection of gender, sexuality, escapism and the many diffrent connotations behind the controversial body part. The five exhibiting artists embrace and revisit the cliches, connotations and imagination behind the meaning of the nipple, disrupting the conventions and raising cultural questions.
“Delving into the work of these widely diverse artists, each distinctly twisting and pushing the constraints of his chosen medium, the notion of nipple twist, one seemingly hailing a very culturally specific meaning, takes on a markedly universal sense. The meaning of this western idiom comes to mirror that of the nipple itself – a shifting, sometimes contradictory one, rooted in societal constructs” state the Gallery founders, Gie and Arthur Buerms.
Der Rum 1, 2 and 3, 2018, Layla Saad. Image Courtesy of Nomadic Art Gallery.
Diving into the exhibition, artist Oliver Cain explores the literal understanding of the nipple, setting the direction for the rest of the exhibition. Expressed in bold sculptures, the artist shows the diverse and versatile variations of the nipple. Following his literal expression, the Auckland-based artist Chloe Marsters pushes his questioning further with her drawings and prints. Capturing the sensual expression of the female body, the artist explores an authentic form of nudity, rather than a sexual one. Furthermore, the artist Layla Saâd is expressing the sexual role of women in society. Altogether, all exhibiting artists twist the nipple in their own way.
Left: Thyatira, 2021, Chloe Marsters. Right: Pebble Hook-Tip, 2021, Chloe Marsters. Image Courtesy of Nomadic Art Gallery.
Exploring the conceptuality of the nipple, Belgium-based artists Merjn Verhelst and Amat Gueye express their version of the topic, by showcasing their scatological jokes through sculptural paintings. Gueye on the other hand, merges methodology and happenstance in his works, commenting on contemporary culture in a modern way.
With ‘Nipple Twist,’ Nomadic Art Gallery is not only entering a new chapter of exploring the New Zealandic art scene, but they are also giving a cultural voice to the artists.
Left: ゴ ゴ ゴ ゴ, 2021, Amat Gueye. Right: Fortnite, 2020, Amat Gueye. Image Courtesy of Nomadic Art Gallery.
“By engaging with this subject matter, the artists lead viewers into a form of visual and semantic introspection which ultimately liberates them from these constructs. In doing so, regardless of their background, whether from Europe or from New Zealand, they aptly point to obsolete sociocultural norms, tinged with conservatism and censorship, which they deconstruct together.”
The exhibition is figuratively and literally twisting the meaning of the nipple, taking everyone to a place of reflection and questioning. The group exhibition will take place from December 3rd, 2021 to January 14th, 2022. To find out more, visit Nomadic Art Gallery.