Nadine Collado and Roseanne Victor bring colour and emotion in Fine Arts Gallery exhibition

Gibraltarian artists Nadine Collado and Roseanne Victor have brought together two distinct artistic styles in a joint exhibition at Fine Arts Gallery, where abstract, colourful compositions meet figurative paintings exploring emotions and experiences of women. 

The exhibition brings together Ms Collado’s vibrant abstract paintings and Ms Victor’s predominantly female figures, with the artists dialoguing between their respective works. 

“We wanted to bring two very different styles together to show how art can speak through colour and emotion,” Ms Victor said. 

The collaboration developed after the two artists first met at an international art festival two years ago, where their work was displayed alongside each other by coincidence. 

They subsequently crossed paths again at another exhibition a year later. Several meetings, conversations over coffee and discussions about possible projects followed before the idea of exhibiting together in Gibraltar emerged. 

“I had never exhibited here, and I did not want to do it alone,” Ms Collado said. 

Ms Collado is a full-time artist whose work has been exhibited in museums in Cascais, Berlin, Venice and Paris, among other locations. 

She said the decision to collaborate had been spontaneous, with both artists sharing an interest in empowering women and supporting their voices. 

“It was completely spontaneous. I think we both believe in the importance of giving women a voice and supporting each other in any field,” she said. 

Nadine Collado, with one of her paintings.

Both artists felt their work could complement each other in their paintings. 

“I do not know how we knew, but we knew,” they said. 

Ms Victor said the intention was to demonstrate how contrasting artistic styles could combine to tell a story. 

“We wanted to show that two such different styles can tell a story. Art can have a conversation and create a story for the viewer, and that is very beautiful,” she said. 

Ms Victor works in mental health as a cognitive behavioural therapist alongside her artistic practice. She has taken part in exhibitions in London, Marbella and Manilva, as well as group exhibitions in Gibraltar. 

Ms Collado added that movement and colour were common elements in their otherwise different approaches. 

“All my abstract works use very different techniques, but they all have movement. And typically, Roseanne and I share a passion for colour,” she said. 

The collaboration has also developed into a friendship based on mutual respect and support. 

“Through art, we have developed a friendship, respect and support for each other,” Ms Victor said.  

“We are very much in tune in that respect, and I think it is beautiful that art has brought us to this point, where we can celebrate our friendship through this exhibition.” 

In selecting the paintings for the exhibition, the artists considered the colour palettes of individual works and how they would sit alongside each other. 

The resulting display combines Ms Collado’s use of blue, orange, turquoise and yellow with Ms Victor’s depictions of women and the emotions conveyed through their expressions and body language. 

The exhibition was also shaped by its curator, Ana de la Fuente of De la Fuente Studios. Both artists said she immediately understood how the paintings could be arranged in groups throughout the gallery to bring out the relationship between their colours and subject matter. 

“She was essential,” they said. 

Each painting is accompanied by a description explaining its narrative, the reasons behind its creation or the ideas that inspired it. 

Roseanne Victor besides one of her painting of women.

Ms Victor’s works explore a range of human experiences, including the suffering of women, childhood disorders, joy and the emotions conveyed through a woman's eyes when words are not enough to express what she feels. 

Alongside these figurative works, Ms Collado’s abstract paintings offer imagined landscapes and worlds, sometimes drawing on recognisable places such as Venice, while others allow colour, movement and texture to take centre stage. 

For both artists, painting has also provided a form of personal liberation. 

Ms Collado said art gave her an opportunity to explore a creativity that had been constrained by demanding schedules and predominantly white environments. 

For Ms Victor, painting became a way of moving beyond difficult personal experiences. 

Their different approaches reflect this experience. Ms Collado found that freedom through abstraction, colour, movement and texture, while Ms Victor expresses it through the women she paints, whose eyes, expressions and postures appear to extend beyond the boundaries of the canvas. 

The exhibition also has a charitable element, with both artists agreeing to donate 10% of sales to Cancer Relief. 

They said they wanted to support those who work with cancer patients and their families, recognising the importance of the help and assistance they provide.