ABOUT ME
XANADINE – Nadine Kulis
From Fashion to Art – A Journey to the Goddesses
I am Xanandine, born in Cologne. After studying art in London and fashion design in Antwerp, I founded my own design agency and the handbag label nani coldine. I designed collections for Aigner, wrote the book Bags for Fashionistas and worked as a trend scout for the German Fashion Institute. After two decades in the fashion industry - between glamour and commercial reality - I decided in 2015 to devote myself more to painting again. Because my life looked great from the outside, but I couldn't express what I had set out to do - and it frustrated me more and more. Classic case of patriarchy stress symptom.
Why goddesses? Why now?
For a long time I thought I just had to be strong enough, persevere, master the rules - then I would succeed everywhere. Even with two children. French mothers can do it too! But at some point I realised: the playing field wasn't made for me. Women who didn't fit the expectations were labelled as inconvenient, bitchy, too loud or just irrelevant.
Then I met the old goddesses. Wild, free and untamable. They were not sweet and kind, not modest and conformist - but brave, excessive, ecstatic. And they were revered for it. Yes, worshipped! How could it be that these powerful, shameless images of women disappeared from our consciousness? (And were then replaced by father gods who did not necessarily excel in their father role with a baby-carrying, playground-daddy attitude.) What could we have learned from them if we had grown up with a female image of God? One that menstruates, gives life - but also ends it when it gets really pissed off!
I began to incorporate these myths into my art. The goddesses became colors on my canvas, figures in my paintings, inspiration for my workshops. My work is not about smooth beauty, but about power and presence. About visibility and taking up space - something that women still struggle with today. No wonder, just a few generations ago we would have quickly ended up on the stake with such behavior.
My book Undomesticated is my answer to these questions. It is an invitation to connect with these ancient stories – and to take a piece of yourself back.
My Heroine's Journey –
that could also be yours
My life does not follow the classic hero's journey, where a warrior goes out into the world to gain fame and fortune. Although I have nothing against wealth. Just please without dragon slaying and forced marriage to a princess. After all, goddesses heal evil and don't just slaughter it.
This is also the common thread that runs through everything I do:
In my book Undomesticated, I talk about how goddesses can help us recognize and break through our own limitations.
In my podcast I talk to inspiring women about how we can free ourselves from old constraints.
In my art I create images that show women as what they are: powerful, sensual, free.
In my workshops I invite women to begin their own heroine journey – creatively, intuitively, powerfully.
Full Circle – Back to your own power
My journey began with fashion - a world of surfaces and staging. And yes, I love staging! The colorful, the exalted, the playful - that was and is my world. But at some point I realized that it wasn't enough to just set trends. I wanted more depth, more meaning, more truth. Art was my way back to myself. From the question: How do I dress to be seen? to a new question: How do I unfold in order to see myself? - And yes, I still wear brightly colored clothes that make me stand out at the bakery in the morning.
The Goddesses gave me a new perspective – and maybe they can do the same for you.
**Let's discover together what happens when we stop adapting and instead draw on our own strength.**
For current exhibitions and promotions, follow me on Instagram or check out my News page.
🎙 My podcast Undomesticated
🎨 My Art
