Joint Exhibition of Artworks by Rose Ann Victor and Nadine Collado
A joint exhibition of artworks by Rose Ann Victor and Nadine Collado will open at the Fine Arts Gallery on 26th October.
Titled ‘When Colour Meets Gaze - A Shared Language’, works from both artists will be on display at the Casemates gallery until the 6th November.
Rose Ann Victor is a self-taught Gibraltarian artist who has been immersed in drawing and painting from a very young age. She says her art provides her with a space to reconnect with herself, quieten the mind and find a sense of restoration through the creative process.
Working primarily in soft pastels, Rose Ann creates expressive portraits that seek to capture the essence of the human spirit. She is particularly drawn to the eyes, which she believes can reveal emotions and experiences that words sometimes cannot.
Nadine Collado is a Gibraltarian abstract, mixed-media artist who left her director role at the University of Gibraltar in 2024 to pursue her passion for art. She is drawn to the freedom and individuality of abstract work and finds the creative process “deeply liberating.”
Her work celebrates that freedom through texture, dynamic movement and saturated colour, creating pieces that invite the viewer to respond emotionally and interpret them in their own way.
We caught up with the pair ahead of the exhibition opening. Rose Ann and Nadine met at an art fair on the Sunborn in 2024. Despite working in very different styles, they realised that they “shared many of the same values, particularly a desire to empower others” through their work.
In July this year, their friendship grew further when they shared studio space while painting the macaque sculptures they had been commissioned to create for the Growing Artists Programme as part of the Jump Around Gib Trail. They explain: “Working alongside one another gave us the opportunity to exchange ideas, talk about our creative processes and discover just how naturally our approaches complemented each other.”
As their creative conversations developed, Rose Ann and Nadine became increasingly interested in the idea of bringing their two styles together. When Nadine initially suggested the idea of a joint exhibition, Rose Ann “immediately felt” it was something worth exploring.
They continued: “As we discussed it further, we realised that we shared a very similar vision: to create an exhibition full of colour and emotion, while showing how two contrasting artistic styles can sit alongside one another, complement one another and create something new.”
Although the works do not necessarily tell one single story, they are connected through emotion, colour and the individual experience of both artist and viewer. Nadine and Rose Ann explain: “The exhibition invites people to see how very different forms of artistic expression can still communicate through a shared visual and emotional language.”
Speaking about their different artistic styles, the pair explain that, whereas Rose Ann’s work is “figurative and focused primarily on portraiture”, Nadine’s is “abstract, expressive and driven by colour, texture and movement.”
“Rather than seeing those differences as something that separates the work, we wanted to explore how they could complement and strengthen one another. Throughout the exhibition, the pieces will be brought together through colour, tone and emotion, allowing the artworks to feel as though they are in conversation with one another.”
They continue to explain how such different styles sit alongside each other and what they hope visitors to the gallery will experience.
“Our exhibition therefore explores how contrasting artistic styles can coexist, each highlighting and enhancing the other through a shared language of colour and emotion. We hope that, when visitors enter the gallery, the overall effect will feel like a sea of colour in which the boundaries between the two styles begin to soften.”
Looking ahead to the opening night, they confess that they are “a little nervous” but also “incredibly excited.”
They say: “What began as a conversation between two artists has gradually developed into something very personal to both of us, so seeing all the work finally come together in the gallery will be a very special moment.”
They also note a “real sense of anticipation” because, although their styles are very different, they have worked towards “creating a collection that feels connected through colour, emotion and atmosphere.”
“We are particularly looking forward to seeing how people respond to the way the pieces interact with one another. More than anything, we feel grateful for the opportunity to share our work together and hope that visitors experience the same sense of connection, emotion and energy that we have felt while creating the exhibition.”
The exhibition will run at the Fine Arts Gallery in Casemates from the 26th October to the 6th November. Opening hours: 10am-2pm and 3pm-6pm.
A selection of artworks from both artists:
NADINE COLLADO: Memories in Motion
ROSE ANN VICTOR: Endurance
This work explores the formation of identity through lived experience — the quiet, often unseen psychological labour required to remain whole in the face of pressure, expectation, and adversity.
NADINE COLLADO: Coral Bloomscape
ROSE ANN VICTOR: Beneath the Assumption
Beneath the Assumption speaks to the inner world that exists beneath the labels, projections, and narratives placed upon us by others. The fractured layers and contrasting colours reflect the psychological tension between outward perception and internal experience. Here lies a complex inner reality: resilience, vulnerability, frustration, and persistence — all quietly coexisting.
NADINE COLLADO: Gilded Sediment
ROSE ANN VICTOR: Ghosts Revisited
Ghosts Revisited explores the impact that unwanted memories can have, and the courage it takes to fight these.
