Wüstennacht / Desert Night Painting

Born and raised in Eastern Germany by Vietnamese immigrants, Nam, manifested artistically as BATLANDS, emerged from a turbulent upbringing marked by scarcity and solitude, now finding her artistic expression in Berlin. She is a self-taught artist in oil painting. Despite her mother's aspirations for a stable career, Nam followed her passion for the fashion world, studying textile engineering in Germany. A failed attempt at launching her own fashion label led her to resurrect her teenage chat name, BATLANDS, inspired by her immersion in goth and punk culture. In her late 20s, Nam transitioned to performance art, transforming BATLANDS into an art character due to her discomfort with showing her face. Navigating mental challenges and complex family dynamics, Nam discovered her latent talent for painting in her early 30s. Her art reflects a deep-seated connection to the fantastical, exploring dreamlike realms, higher beings, and non-earthly themes. Nature, animals, and deities take center stage in Nam's art, symbolizing a reverence for a fantasy world where these entities reign supreme. This preference for the non-human reflects a desire to be surrounded by entities other than humans, perhaps as a sanctuary from the complexities of her own reality. The recurring self-portraits signify a quest for identity and meaning in a world shaped by generational trauma. Nam's art is a processing of diverse systems, a manifestation of her search for a missing supportive structure in a higher calling. Since childhood, Nam harbored a deep fascination with myths and legends, later delving into various religions and belief systems in a quest for the essence of life and the creator of existence. Her works, a pilgrimage to discover God, intricately explore creation stories from various cultures. Ultimately, her exploration led her to embrace the God of Abraham and Jacob and His son, Jesus Christ. You are welcome to join Nam on her faith journey, embedded in the rich tapestry of her art.