Deesse du sloir 

Nigel Van Wieck’s painting, "Deesse du sloir" presents us with a scene of revelry, perhaps a formal dance or a party, yet it is imbued with a sense of unease. The pale, almost spectral woman in the yellow dress becomes a focal point. Her skin is an unnatural hue, which contrasts sharply with the joyous occasion around her, and the dark figures that surround her, creating a sense of isolation or otherness. The woman's open mouth, whether in laughter or distress, leaves us in the unknown. Is she the subject of admiration or the object of something more sinister? Consider how the obscured faces and the grasping hands might speak to the loss of individuality and the looming threat of the anonymous crowd. Van Wieck's work invites us to confront uncomfortable truths about social dynamics, and the vulnerability of the individual within them.