18. 8. 2026–30. 10. 2026 Nina Šulin / The Rose Garden
Nina Šulin / The Rose Garden
UGM Šop, Strossmayerjeva ulica 6
18 August – 30 October 2026
opening: Tuesday, 18 August 2026, 18:00
Curator: Andreja Borin
With her exhibition The Rose Garden, Nina Šulin invites us into a summeral splendour of colours and forms. The small-format paintings, executed in oil on wood, shimmer in shades of red, pink and blue, whilst motifs of the same flowers appear in various interpretations. The perspectives on the subject vary. In some, the artist observes the flowers from a distance; in others, she enters the scene as if viewing it from a bee’s-eye view. The floral still life emerged as a distinct genre at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly within the Dutch and Flemish Baroque periods. Paintings of sumptuous bouquets bore witness to the wealth of the patrons, whilst also conveying a message about the transience of life. Nina Šulin’s paintings are not still lifes, nor are they portraits of individual flowers in the sense of a herbarium. The large-scale close-ups of flowers draw the viewer in (particularly in large formats). The tranquil life of the flowers is transformed in Nina Šulin’s paintings into an exhilarating symphony that intoxicates with its opulence of colours, shapes and textures. The flowers in her paintings are not inconspicuous or passive, but independent beings with extraordinary creative power. The centre of this power is concentrated in the heart of the flower, which can also be understood as the navel of the world. The artist captures all stages of flowering, from the bud through the fully open bloom to withering, though it is clear that she is most drawn to the stage of lush blossoming. As Nina Šulin is a versatile artist who also works in set design, costume design, puppetry and illustration, and is deeply interested in the concept of space, she has created a special corner for her paintings in the UGM Šop shop. The vibrant wallpaper evokes associations with the secret and unusual nature of the garden in which her flowers thrive.
Nina Šulin (b. 1980) graduated in 2008 from the Department of Fine Art at the Faculty of Education, University of Maribor, and in 2014 completed her Master’s degree in the Department of Stage Design, specialising in costume design, at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television, University of Ljubljana. She is self-employed in the cultural sector and works as a costume designer, set designer, puppet maker, illustrator and lecturer in fine art at the Maribor Conservatoire of Music and Ballet. She also mentors various art workshops for adults and young people. She has held several solo and group exhibitions both at home and abroad. She is particularly interested in spatial installations, painting and sculpture.
