A new exhibition at Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art will feature works by two Bermudian siblings.

Complementary is the first collaborative exhibition by Nahshon Hollis and Shanna Hollis.

Curated by Jasmine Lee, the opening reception will take place on August 21, from 5.30pm to 7pm, in the Rick Faries Gallery at Masterworks. The exhibition will run until October 3.

The siblings have developed distinctly different artistic voices while returning again and again to shared themes of identity, environment, community, resilience and the Bermudian experience.

Mr Hollis is known for his hyperrealistic oil paintings, and Complementary also marks the debut of his graphic style.

Building on his Charman Prize-winning portrait of his sister, A Colourful Neighbour, Mr Hollis draws inspiration from both his sister’s visual language and the subjects closest to his home and heart.

His backyard garden, the flora and fauna of Bermuda, and the natural world become central subjects, carrying personal associations of comfort, familiarity and belonging.

Throughout the work, themes of growth, resilience, refuge and connection emerge, reflecting both his relationship with the natural environment and the deeper emotional significance he finds within it.

Ms Hollis presents bold and vibrant graphic works exploring the complexities of Bermudian identity through two interconnected bodies of work.

The first examines the significance of the “Bermuda Smile” and the role it has played in shaping the island’s identity.

Through themes of mental health, island fever, service and hospitality, and Bermuda’s history, she considers the layers beneath the warmth and friendliness for which Bermudians are known.

Rather than presenting the smile simply as an expectation, she reimagines it as a symbol of resilience.

This idea connects to the story of Sally Bassett, who was executed in 1730 and, according to Bermudian folklore, left behind a Bermudiana growing from her ashes.

Drawing on this imagery, Ms Hollis transforms the Bermudiana into a smiling character she calls the “Happy Bermudiana”, a symbol of the enduring spirit, resilience and complexity of the Bermudian people.

The second body of work continues Ms Hollis’s continuing illustration series, The People’s Collection, first introduced at the BSoA Emerging Artist Exhibition in 2019.

Created in her distinctive flat, graphic style, the collection initially focused on Bermudian people, experiences and subjects not often represented in local imagery.

When the series continued in Masterworks’ 441 exhibition in 2021, viewers drew comparisons between the work and vintage Bermuda travel posters.

Ms Hollis’s work in the exhibition spans illustration, poetry, painting, sculpture and product design, expanding her bold graphic language across multiple mediums.

• For more information about the artists and events relating to the exhibition, visit the Masterworkswebsite