Tarien Engelbrecht

As an artist, I am interested in evoking emotion and connection through my work. My newest body of work explores nostalgia and our yearning for a cherished past, reconstructed through idealised memories and events.

The series is inspired by the concept of a “screen memory” — a distorted or reconstructed memory that can filter difficult emotions while creating a sense of comfort and familiarity. These memories can be both deceptive and reassuring, becoming deeply embedded in our sense of identity.

Through painting, I explore how we reconstruct memories of place and home as spaces of safety and predictability. Although these memories may be idealised or fundamentally impossible, they can still hold a powerful emotional truth — reminding us that a moment can be meaningful in itself.

I use a glitch painting technique to represent the fragmented, recurring and sometimes fabricated nature of memory. Playful imagery and colours inspired by the 1950s and 1960s create a sense of familiarity, while titles drawn from songs of the 1960s and 1970s further reinforce the nostalgic atmosphere.

Ultimately, the work invites viewers to reflect on their own memories and the ways nostalgia shapes our understanding of the past, ourselves and the places we call home.