Neva Bergemann (1968, Milwaukee) resides in Greece, where she has been the principal instructor for the visual arts department at Hellenic International Studies in the Arts (HISA) since 2010. The artist also founded Artists on the Move, a program that combines the visual arts - working with a variety of media, both en plein air and in the studio - with an exploration of the rich traditions expressed in the architecture, landscape and cultural life of the islands of Greece.

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Fascinated by the landscapes of this land, her attention turned towards an element intimately rooted in Mediterranean culture: the olive tree. This tree embodies the visual impression and the symbolic meaning: its shapes, dictated by strong winds or torn by severe cuts, are the product of the civilization of our past, whose echoes still resonate in our consciences. Appearing in the myths, representations and traditions of the Mediterranean, the olive tree has always been a perpetual symbol of prosperity, fertility and peace.

Her drawings are executed with blackened graphite set against a generous white background absent from other signs of context. Emphasizing a vigorous and resilient nature, olive trees stand stoic and strong on paper like archaic kouroi and korai, yet are imbued with the graceful and individual nature of sentient beings, alive and nourished by air, earth and sun. While solitary in appearance, a sense of community between them emerges when they are shown together.