Blooms upon blooms, large and meticulously painted. In between, a few giant ants or ladybugs pushing into a split fruit. Somewhere, a blue harebell glows from a dark tree hollow. Plants and insects populate their image world. In this, Melanie Loureiro does not value absolute fidelity to nature. Her pictures do not aim to be realistic, only plausible. And they are, even in the gigantic enlargement that sometimes makes flora and fauna appear threatening. An effect that she understands, but does not intend. Rather, it is about a change of perspective: One looks at the giant ant with different eyes – an experience that runs counter to the anthropocentric worldview.

Her interest in nature began a few years ago when Loureiro moved into her studio near the Düsseldorfer Südpark. Every morning and every evening since then, she crosses the green space by bicycle - on the way to the studio and back. Often, she gets off to observe plants and insects up close. Online courses, podcasts, audiobooks help the painter dive deeply into the subject. It's a bit like an obsession: "I collect information, start a painting, and immerse myself in knowledge until I think I have understood something."