Artist: Andrea Niven
Andrea Niven is a multi-disciplinary visual artist deeply inspired by the beauty and fragility of life. Her work explores metaphorical connections within the natural world, reflecting its delicate balance. Through her art, Andrea engages with the community to raise awareness about homelessness and environmental issues that threaten the planet. Her goal is to highlight resilience, inspire hope, and foster a greater understanding of our interconnectedness.
Oleleshwa (April 2025 Contest - Art Create Learn Team’s 2nd Favourite), 36” by 36”, Acrylic on Canvas. In the midst of an impoverished area of the Maasai Mara of Kenya sits this wise woman, an elder of her tribe. The pain and suffering she has endured over the years is evident in the rugged lines of her weathered face and her gnarly fingers are damaged from years of hard work on the land. Her outer fragility is deceiving for she possesses an inner well of strength within her that does not permit her to give-up, regardless of circumstance. She has suffered through drought, famine, sickness and the death of friends and family, but these tragedies do not break her spirit. She sits proudly, draped in her colourful scarves of honour and points to the Oleleshwa tree, always green, offering healing with its camphor leaves, always remaining a symbol of hope for her people. The children stand and listen to their teacher as she tells them to be strong and resilient, like the tree, and to never lose hope for a brighter future.
Espoir au milieu des ruines (Hope Within the Ruins), 2024- Mixed media on Paper . Life is a constant state of transformation, shaped by both hardship and hope. I am drawn to the tension between resilience and decay—the way growth and loss coexist in both nature and human experience. My work explores this fragile balance, revealing how even in deterioration, there is potential for renewal. Deeply influenced by nature, I use the life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly as a metaphor for change, survival, and the cycles of life. Its metamorphosis and perseverance in the face of environmental threats mirror our own struggles, reminding us that beauty and strength often emerge from fragility. Through my art, I seek to inspire reflection, encourage action, and offer a sense of hope within the inevitability of transformation.