2BLEENE: Painting Nature with Bold Abstraction
The first time I met 2BLEENE, I was working on a project in Puerto Rico. Her name immediately became a puzzle for my English-speaking clients. “How do you even say it?” they’d ask, brows furrowed as if trying to crack a code. Here’s the simple answer: in Spanish, “2BLEENE” means “Double N,” a playful nod to her full name, Natalia Nicole Rodriguez.
During that project, she created a wall installation for one of my clients that stopped me in my tracks. Her ability to arrange elements in a way that feels right is remarkable. Her compositions reflect a deep understanding of how forms and colors interact. Every choice feels deliberate, yet her approach to composition is so instinctive it feels second nature.
At the time, I was focused on her street art. That’s where her reputation began, and her contributions to the scene in Puerto Rico and beyond have been significant. Her murals are bold and dynamic, filled with energy and elegance. Much of her work draws inspiration from nature, particularly flowers, which she connects to her childhood and her mother’s garden. The influence is clear in the way her shapes flow—they feel alive, as if they’ve grown organically on the walls she paints.
Watching an artist’s work evolve over time is always a privilege. When I first worked with 2BLEENE, her murals were the centerpiece of her practice. Over the years, however, her studio work has taken center stage for me. Her latest pieces push her love of nature even further, distilling it into abstract forms that feel both familiar and surprising. The abstracted flowers she creates now feel like a natural extension of her earlier work, reimagined through a contemporary lens that’s bolder and more introspective.
Her recent work blends soft, organic forms with bold, structured blocks of color. This interplay creates a rhythm that immediately draws you in. Some areas are open and spacious, inviting your eyes to wander, while others are dense and compact, demanding closer focus. Her use of color is just as thoughtful. Her work is layered and encourages repeated exploration—there’s always more to uncover.
The shapes in her compositions are alive with movement. There’s a tension in how they interact—a balance between freedom and structure that keeps you engaged. While her work has grown more abstract, it continues to draw deeply from her roots in nature. These aren’t literal flowers; instead, they capture the energy and essence of the natural world.
Even as her focus has shifted from street art to studio work, the influence of her street art background remains evident. There’s a boldness to her compositions, a confidence that can only come from years spent creating in public spaces, where every stroke has to compete with its environment. That sense of immediacy, of commanding attention, still informs her work today.
Working with 2BLEENE during that project was an incredible experience, but following her journey since has been even more rewarding. Her vision has grown more refined, her compositions more complex. Watching her explore the relationships between shapes, colors, and space has been inspiring. Her understanding of these elements feels almost innate, as if they’re extensions of her own thought process.
Her name might still trip up a few people, but learning how to say it is a small price to pay for experiencing her work. Call her Natalia Nicole, call her Double N, call her whatever you like—just make sure you take the time to engage with what she’s creating.