Originally sent by email on 12.03.25.
nodenaysteen newsletter #13 — March 2025
Kat Bové (°1984) worked for many years on a body of work that reflects the duality in her life after her studies in Visual Arts at Sint-Lucas in Ghent: self-assured air hostess - introverted artist.
One of the recurring themes in her work is the tension between superficial appearances and true identity.
In 2024, she successfully made the leap to a wider audience. Since then, exhibitions have followed one after another.
What can we expect from WHO IS YOUR GOD, WHERE IS SHE?
A quest, or what did you think? (laughs) I will mainly show a lot of self-portraits, but in an idealized form, in the form that I and, by extension, many people want to be: witty, powerful, with sometimes a middle finger raised to society. Expect no clarity, I have more questions than answers.
Each image plays with contrast, with confusion, with contradiction. The vulnerability of the naked body versus the strength of iconography, the conflict between image and text, the humor of a message versus the grim reality. Light versus dark, color versus black. I want to show that it’s okay to have both within you, as long as you have some 'gods' to guide you towards the light. For me, those are women: bearers of the world, exemplars of strength. I portray some of my heroines, but especially that idealized version of myself, which, if you look closely, always has a vulnerable side somewhere. By the way, the title of the exhibition is taken from the song Multi-Love by Unknown Mortal Orchestra, as a nod to the way quotes from music and literature often sneak into my work.
We look forward to welcoming you Saturday 15.03 at 3 PM for the opening, or at another time during the following weeks.
Team nodenaysteen.