Nick Cave seems to have lived his whole life in this space and I am grateful for his work. He has developed his own language to talk about what matters to him. No one is obliged to learn this language, yet it is not withheld. It’s an invitation and a service. I appreciate that and I am again and again touched by his authenticity, his patience and his goodwill.

I started to notice Nick’s work sometime in 2022, not through his music, but through his Red Hand Files and public engagements promoting and discussing his published conversations of ‘Faith, Hope and Carnage’ with Sean O’Hagan. I have been journeying through his work ever since in an attempt to connect with elements of my life that were somewhat lost to me. At first, I wanted to paint one portrait, then many. Paintings I thought I wanted to paint never eventuated, but others emerged, and I hope you will judge them kindly. They are fragile things and they haven’t learned to be in the public eye.

I must also apologise to Nick, who I have bombarded with letters to the Red Hand Files. I hope I haven’t been too much of a burden, and I am already sad at the prospect of letting you go.

Voice recordings of edited excerpts of my too many emails to Nick serve as companion pieces to ground the paintings in this exhibition in a lived context. None of this is sanctioned by Nick, but he also hasn’t told me to go fuck myself. Perhaps it’s okay to share some of these with you.

Much faith, much hope - and please - no carnage,

Cordula

PS: Don't forget to listen to my interview with Sophie Garth on the soundfile.