The Strawberry Thief

The Strawberry Thief is a play on the most well known and mass produced wallpaper design by William Morris.
The painting incorporates the wallpaper design in the background overflowing as a tattoo motif over the figure. Painted in the pose of a classic three-quarter profile, she gazes directly outward to hold your interest and create intrigue.
The Strawberry Thief also makes reference to Caravaggio’s “Bacchus” – for the intense drama and contrast of his chiaroscuro, and the leafy wreath adorning Bacchus’ luscious curls. It seemed fitting for The Strawberry Thief to also evoke the abundance of Bacchus as an equal female counterpart, full of desire and intent.

Follow

Nicole Vandersteegen is a painter whose works derive from her imagination and are inspired by colour and nostalgia. She studied painting at Monash University in Melbourne and has exhibited in group shows across Australia, including as a finalist in the Ravenswood Australian Women’s Art Prize 2021 and the Togart Contemporary Art Award 2012 and 2013.

Her work delves into the genre of magical realism: seeking to conjure what is known or familiar, within a surreal or peculiar narrative.

Nicole’s paintings are a culmination of her creative process. Making props and using fabric is a part of her practice she enjoys for its sculptural qualities: using her hands in a different way to painting, problem solving and sewing to create an object that she can then use in a stage set to create drama and focus by the play of light and shadow.

Nostalgic references are often derived from personal experience or memory, a fragment of something that sparks interest and evokes an idea.

Nicole has exhibited in metropolitan and regional art exhibitions in Australia.