"Artificial Intelligence?" Collage

NINA MUELLER-ERBEN
1957 Vienna, Austria

The Journey :
Recognized as an exceptionally gifted talent from a very young age, my artistic journey began with solo exhibitions during my childhood.
While I later closely aligned with the unbridled, expressive energy of the 'Neue Wilde' movement in Austria, I always guarded a fierce creative autonomy.

My background includes formal training as a professional gallerist at Gallery CHRISTIAN M.NEBEHAY, Vienna 1
providing a deep engagement with art history.

The Vision:
However, a powerful, subconscious urge from deep within guided me to abandon conventional dogmas and forge my own, highly extreme path, naturally catching the currents of the time long before the global rise of Jean-Michel Basquiat.

The Method:
Driven by a lifelong passion for Art Brut, I celebrate the visceral power of instinct over rigid institutional rules.
My working method is intensely physical. Every single artwork begins with a rigorous tactile foundation, completely coating the surface with diverse types of paper. Upon this fragmented underground, mirroring the torn layers of modern reality, I paint directly with acrylics, oil pastels, and chalk.
This instinctive approach creates a timeless visual conceptual language.

The Satire-The Donkey:
The central purpose of my artworks is to hold up a deeply sarcastic mirror to the world.
They are multi-layered stages inviting viewers to immerse themselves, decode hidden, deeply human stories, and confront the bizarre idiosyncrasies of our society.
Serving as the ultimate anchor of this satire is the donkey.
Moving through my artworks in a shifting spectrum of bold, unexpected colors, the donkey acts as the ultimate witness—whether staring with stubborn ancient wisdom or irreverently turning its backside to humanity.

The Psychological Mirror:
My artwork is not created to decorate a space; it is born to challenge the mind and act as an interactive mirror for the human psyche.
Deeply rooted in the raw, unfiltered energy of Neo-Expressionism and Art Brut, my paintings operate as visual labyrinths and psychological discovery games.
I layers bold, emotional colors, street-art iconography, and physical fragments of reality—such as local newspapers from the island of Paros Greece or digital elements like QR codes. Through this intense process of texturing and collage, I deliberately bury hidden narratives and cryptic symbols within the canvas.

There is no single 'correct' interpretation of my work.