Davina Stephens

Davina Stephens is a New Zealand artist working with a variety of mixed media formats. When she recalls the memory of the childhood she spent in Bali, it is the meandering lines of the dirt trails that she used to walk, the ringing sound of a bicycle bell as people made their way to the beach, the rhythmic sound of women pounding rice in the bamboo forest that spring to mind.

“My hand and [my sensory] feelings have these memories of those shapes, visions, and sounds that I had growing up. And I think those things [in nature] are innate in the Balinese people as well. Their creations very much take on the shape of nature [and they become] one with nature by creating these things.”

Davina’s artworks place a lot of emphasis on storytelling. In her works that depict the rhythms of life in Bali, it’s as though she is leading the viewers by the hand to enter this space that exists between the reality and non-reality, taking them to explore the surrealism and fantasy that exists within physical nature. In creating a scene, Davina tries to bring out the romantic mysticism of not quite knowing where you will end up.

The collection of Davina Stephens’ works in Nyaman Gallery make use of a limited colour palette. Through these pieces Davina invites viewers to explore the depth and subtlety of muted colours as she deliberately moves away from loudness in her work. She invites viewers to ponder, “Hang on, let’s change the sound a bit and let’s see what it’s like to start quiet, and start from the raw or the basic.”