Flowers of Dust - Nathalie De Corte in the Berolina Galerie

Under the title Flow of the Paintings, I refer to the currents that flow through the human body, as well as the currents in nature – all these invisible movements that connect and permeate us. My drawn line is sometimes more writing than painting. It is life, infused with the elements of nature. These works have long remained unnoticed in a corner of my studio. Sometimes artistic maturation is a slow process: These images come from two widely separated creative phases, 2014 and today. It is exciting to recognize the maturity of one's gesture compared to an older drawing and to inscribe it into a temporal continuity.

In the collages, different moments are present through overlapping layers. They were inspired by what one might call "studio remnants" – folders full of works that initially seemed unusable, postponed and forgotten in a corner of the studio. Some of the sheets used date back to 2009, others are even older and go back to my student days. Time has left its marks on the surfaces and in their substance; some materials have matured and gained density. Nevertheless, each sheet, each trace is familiar to me. I never forget a line I have drawn or a material I have held in my hand. So I opened these old folders, cut, overlaid, and arranged them to create new tensions through the collages.

This work process ran parallel to the paintings I exhibit: There, too, I retrieved old folders and reworked them with inks, giving the original gestures a new impulse – or rather: I laid my current knowledge over previous gestures and tried to make their original meaning stand out more clearly.

Time is an essential component of my work. It is about layering different time strata. My gesture continues, even ten years later, seeking and finding its trace again. Thus, time is present in two ways: On one hand, the line emerges in the immediate moment, without distance or correction; on the other hand, it can rest for decades until I find the strength to complete it.

The collages occupy a special position: They support my more expressive paintings, where I decide quite spontaneously which accent, which form, and which mass should be where. In the collages, this decision-making process slows down but remains the same: It is about setting accents, creating connections, searching for points of reference. It is always about construction, balance – and finally also about tempo and acceleration. It is about weaving different moments together, continuing an older thread of thought into the present, connecting different times.

The rather geometric structure that results from the format of the sheets in the collages is also a creative gesture. It seems to have emerged more from conscious reflection and gives the works new spaces and territories – like on a map where different areas overlap and delineate.

Some drawings remain completely hidden, others reveal only a small edge. Some are transparent and engage in dialogue with the background on which they rest. Others have been turned over. Such arrangements often find themselves almost naturally in the studio – a small intervention is enough for a tension to unfold, for them to begin to tell their own story.

In my work, the question repeatedly arises as to what extent intervention is necessary. Sometimes a work composes itself almost on its own. Sometimes it takes decades to find its expression.

Nathalie De Corte is a painter, shaped by a rich cultural background. Born in Ghent, she grew up in the Flemish-speaking region of Belgium before moving to Germany as a teenager, where she completed her Abitur in Cologne. After a short stay in Italy, where she dedicated herself to nature conservation, she returned to the French-speaking part of Belgium to study painting. Today, she lives there and teaches fine arts at a university.

In the past two years, her work has found great acclaim, particularly in China, where it has been exhibited in various museums in Southeast China. This summer, she will travel to Beijing to participate in an artist residency.

Her artistic journey reflects the influence of different linguistic and cultural spaces. The multilingualism of Belgium – Dutch, French, and German – has deeply influenced her way of thinking. Her relationship with language and writing permeates her painting like an undertone. Her art, which initially followed geometric composition and old oil techniques, evolved into a freer, more fluid form.

Poetic writing is a central element of her work and is visible in her book Mostly cloudy, with periods of rain or drizzle, where the boundaries between language and graphic line merge. Painting and writing appear as fluid forms of expression, born from the simple gestures of speaking and walking – walking understood not as mere movement but as an existential stance: a philosophy of pausing, embodiment, and ever-renewing perception. Naturally, her painting turned to a style akin to writing, as an expression of attitude and physical movement at the moment of creation.

The focus of her work is the line: curved, swinging, with wide arcs, dots, steeply rising lines, and sudden falls – like handwriting that embodies life energy. Plants and nature serve as her inspiration: as symbols for existence and the writing of what is emerging, what is not yet complete, what remains in constant motion.

Here, the Greek concept of physis finds its expression: the principle of an inner becoming and unfolding, a growth from within – a thought that stands at the center of her artistic practice. She captures this fine moment of transition – the "instant," the threshold moment between rise and fall – in long series of paintings reminiscent of plant elements, moved by wind and weather. This is also referenced in the title of her latest monograph Mostly Cloudy, with periods of rain or drizzle. For even in the same garden, nature changes incessantly – depending on the time of day, season, or weather conditions.

The title of the book originates from a weather report on the day of her first meeting with her publisher: a simple description that she perceived like a Japanese haiku and that precisely expresses her artistic attitude towards change and transition.

Her "Floraisons" – "Blossoms," understood as nature in constant growth and change – are images of transition. They evade a final fixation, remaining fragments of an eternal becoming. Each painting becomes an imperfect, irrevocably lost attempt to write the moment.

In this light, nature itself becomes a metaphor for artistic creation: an incessant process of striving, never complete, always on the way. Her painting is an art of the in-between – and all her works together form a long, moving, written sentence.

Her work is strongly imbued with the spirit of calligraphy. She feels akin to artists like Christian Dotremont, Cy Twombly, Helen Frankenthaler, Claude Monet, and Joan Mitchell – creators who capture the moment, movement, and constant transformation in their works.

During her summer residency in Beijing this year, Nathalie De Corte will delve into dialogue with Asian culture and calligraphy. For her, this exchange means a constant critical questioning and a conscious positioning. She understands calligraphy not as an exclusively Asian art form but as an inherent human mode of expression – a primal movement closely linked to dance, breath, music, and body rhythm.

Future Art Exhibitions at the Berolina Gallery

Diploma Exhibition – Abby Ma Ray

Opening on June 26, 2025, at 7 PM
Exhibition period: June 26, 2025 – September 17, 2025

The young artist Abby Ma Ray presents her final works from the diploma program "Fine Arts and Painting" at the Achtzig Kunstakademie Berlin. In her works, she explores the themes of identity, emotion, and abstraction in a multifaceted manner. She combines visual arts, painting, book illustration, text, and installation across media to create a unique artistic expression. Abby Ma Ray's works are characterized by a personal yet reflective visual language – at the intersection of intuition and concept.

Current Art Exhibition at the Berolina Gallery

"Flowers of Dust" – Nathalie De Corte

May 2 – June 24, 2025
The Belgian artist presents acrylic and gouache works that explore transformation, transience, and poetic materiality. Her visual language is intuitive, philosophically influenced, and internationally exhibited.

"Berlin Affin" – Women's Art Caravan

February 14 – April 17, 2025
Nine female artists from Berlin-Hellersdorf and Marzahn showcase their individual relationship to the capital through painting, graphics, and mixed media. The exhibition is part of a long-term project to promote female artists in the urban space.

"City Faces" – Art Association MAL-HEURE / STUDIO OTTO NAGEL e.V.

November 21, 2024 – February 12, 2025
This exhibition celebrates city life in its diversity and dynamism. The traditional art association Mal-Heure from Berlin-Friedrichshain celebrates its nearly 50-year existence with this exhibition. Paintings, drawings, and collages depicting people, places, and scenes of everyday Berlin life are shown – honest, diverse, sometimes humorous or critical. The title "City Faces" symbolizes the diversity of urban identities.

"Reflection of Silence" – Solo Exhibition by Vytautas Poška

September 12 – November 19, 2024
In cooperation with the Lithuanian Artists' Association, the gallery presents poetic watercolors by Lithuanian artist Vytautas Poška. The delicate landscapes invite meditative contemplation: reflections, light reflections, and gentle color transitions create a profound atmosphere. The works open mental spaces and allow viewers to immerse themselves in distant worlds through visual "silence." The exhibition was curated by Gabrielė Kuizinaitė.

"Painting with Ink and Collages" by Diego Gorter

July 12 – September 11, 2024
The Ecuadorian-born Diego Gorter (b. 1967) combines ink techniques with collage elements in his works. His expressive compositions oscillate between figuration and abstraction, with light, darkness, and structure playing a central role. Gorter's work, which partly resembles archaic cave paintings, is created in a dynamic process characterized by spontaneous gestures and rhythmic line work. His activity as a poet is also reflected in the visual language of his art.

"Coastal and Urban Landscapes" – Renate Bause-Bitterlich & Manfred RotheMay 23 – July 11, 2024
In this dual exhibition, two very different perspectives on nature and urbanity meet: Renate Bause-Bitterlich combines texts with representational painting in her works to poetically stage Berlin cityscapes on canvas and hardboard. Manfred Rother, on the other hand, shows drawings and sculptures that deal with the wild, almost untouched landscape of the Weststrand on the Baltic Sea – washed-up tree trunks, rugged driftwood, and quiet coastal lines become symbols of transition.

"Arrived – Into the Future" by the Levetzowgirls

May 10 – 17, 2024
The Levetzowgirls – a creative group of young girls from a Berlin emergency shelter – showcase collages that express their very personal vision of a better future for Berlin-Mitte. Founded in 2016, the participants use art and music as a means of integration and self-realization. The presented mixed-media works unite hope, identity, and empowerment. Link to the press release: https://www.berlin.de/ba-mitte/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/2024/pressemitteilung.1443202.php. 

"Ecology and Climate Change – Abstract Painting" by Diana Achtzig

April 16 – May 22, 2024
With this exhibition, the Berolina Gallery was ceremoniously reopened after a long break – thanks to the voluntary commitment of the artist Diana Achtzig. Her abstract works are dedicated to the ecological crisis: themes such as species extinction, water scarcity, and the fragile balance of flora and fauna are addressed in an impressive language of color and form. The exhibition includes works with titles such as "Butterfly Extinction", "Wild Bees", or "Climate Change 1–10", which focus on both the threat and the fragile beauty of nature. The Kunst verkaufen Achtzig Podcast with Episode #192 showcases this art exhibition. Link to the artist's website: https://www.art-amour.de/?page_id=2204.