Deep Blue Utopia

Nina Valkhoff is a muralist and painter from Rotterdam, The Netherlands. She is celebrated for her large-scale murals full of life, flora and fauna.

Her style can be described as realistic, with a hint of magic. The main characters in her work are animals, especially endangered species in order to make people aware of their existence, to show their beauty, and to point out our selective love for the cute or more common animals. Her work can be described as ‘subtle artivism’. By bringing the beauty of nature into urban areas on large-scale walls, inhabitants and passers-by are confronted by these animals on a daily basis. By doing so, Nina hopes to inspire people to appreciate the natural world more, and, very optimistically, to treat animals better.

She has been working as a professional muralist worldwide for over 23 years with murals in 16 different countries, from Europe to North and South America. She has worked with countless big brands and organizations like PETA, Dove, The Body Shop, and Red Bull. Her work can be found in the prestigious STRAAT street art museum in Amsterdam, and her unique style has led to invitations from 15 international street art festivals.

Several issues are at play. The challenges confronting our oceans are intertwined and overlapping, which makes them even more difficult to address and places additional strain on marine species and habitats.