nicola baretta

Using simple shapes, patterns and colours, my prints celebrate the brilliant flashes of nature found in the arid and fruitful landscape of Africa & Europe.

Nicola is a London based illustrator, designer and actor. She's originally from Cape Town, South Africa, but has spent the last decade of her life in London. On top of that she has Italian heritage and has been lucky enough to have spent a fair bit of time in Italy. With strong ancestral ties to both Africa & Europe, it is this mix of cultures from her heritage that form the basis to her artwork.

Her first collection is an homage to her South African upbringing; a collection of birds and flora that form part of her childhood. Flowers she picked as a child from her garden or birds she admired from a game vehicle in the bush. A lot of Southern Africa can be a dry and arid landscape, but it’s interspersed with splashes of vibrant colour and patterns that seem to come from nowhere. Every flower, bird or insect is unique. Ultimately, she'd love her designs to bring about a bit of joy to you and your homes with the unique colours, patterns and shapes of her heritage.