Sara Nickleson

Origin: Detroit, MI
Birth Year: 1982

In search of a departure from prevailing ideas around figuration, I imagine the body as impermanent, morphing and changing as a representation of complex emotion and cognition. I pursue world-building that draws from my studies in consciousness and melancholia, as well as theories around “deep adaptation” in the face of climate crisis.

Each painting begins with digital collage as an interpretation of the exquisite corpse; this process—along with an application of oil paint that is active and divergent—channels the metaphysical and expresses a human condition that is awkward, expansive, and fragmented.

The Three Witches, 2023
Oil on canvas
60" × 60"

Cerci, 2023
Oil on canvas
24" × 30"

Femme-Enfant, 2023
Oil on canvas
24" × 30"

Venus Murcia, 2023
Oil on canvas
36" × 48"

The Fourth Way, 2023
Oil on canvas
96" × 60"