Nina Valkhoff – Endangered Beauty
Imagine walking on the grounds of Teufelsberg and coming face to face with a majestic tiger that seems to leap off the wall. Surely, you would want to know more about the meaning behind it. If so, we are thrilled to introduce you today to one of our remarkable muralists, Nina Valkhoff.
Vibrant Art with a Message
Nina is a Dutch muralist and painter from Rotterdam, where she studied illustration at the Willem de Kooning Art Academy. With over 20 years of professional experience, she has created stunning murals around the globe. Her work can be seen in countries like Sweden, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Argentina, Portugal, Mexico, France, Curaçao, the UK, Germany, Monaco, and Ireland. If during your travels you have ever admired a captivating mural of flora and fauna on an apartment building, restaurant, office, or shop, there is a good chance you have encountered Nina’s vibrant artwork.
Creating large mural paintings is Nina’s passion. Her unique style focuses on depicting plants and animals, with a special emphasis on endangered species. Through her art, she aims to raise awareness about these creatures and showcase their beauty. Nina’s work makes a powerful statement about our selective love for more familiar or common animals, urging us to appreciate and protect all species, especially those at risk.
Her style is realistic with a touch of fantasy; she loves incorporating colors that aren’t originally there to create a vibrant yet realistic image. With a lot of attention to detail and a deep love for nature, she designs her works to make the world a little happier. Street art doesn’t always have a profound message. Sometimes, its value lies simply in making different areas and neighborhoods more beautiful and picturesque.
But how does Nina create these massive artworks? To work safely at great heights, she uses a mobile aerial work platform and a safety harness. She begins her process by creating a grid of square sections, which she overlays on her design to accurately transfer the sketch lines onto the wall. Once the sketch is on the wall, the grid lines are painted over with white. Then, Nina fills large areas with color, gradually adding details like light and shadow effects, making the animals and plants appear increasingly realistic. On average, it takes her about 10 days to complete a mural.
Tiger in Focus
In line with her mission, Nina created a stunning tiger mural at Teufelsberg in March 2024 during our Power of Female Art Festival. Her creation certainly achieves its purpose—the majestic tiger looms over you, evoking a sense of awe and making you reflect on the plight of this magnificent species. The painting is dynamic and playful, with a hit of magic.
“I am really obsessed with tigers at the moment,” Nina shares. “Of course, it is an endangered species. I let myself get inspired by the walls around me. I think it really fits; it fits the place. Part of the design, the background is the original background that I found on the wall. I changed it a little bit with spray cans, but I like to use also the sort of rougher look that Teufelsberg has to emphasize the tiger.”
Do you want to see Nina Valkhoff in action as she creates her breathtaking tiger mural at Teufelsberg? Check out our Instagram reel and experience her creative magic up close!
Are you also overwhelmed by Nina’s realistic tiger? Then you should come by and see Nina’s incredible tiger mural in person. Stay tuned, because we will be introducing many other talented artists very soon!