LARA NICKEL
b. 1985
“I am interested in how a painting can act like an object yet still have a representational subject matter.” -Lara Nickel
Born and raised in New Mexico, Lara Nickel received her BFA in painting and art history from the College of Santa Fe in 2007. Since then, her education in art history continues to inspire her work. With an emphasis on the architectural legacy of conceptual artists such as Jannis Kounellis, her paintings transcend the boundaries of traditional decor and instead allow the setting and placement to truly bring them to life.
Nickel is known for her installation-based paintings, which are realistic, life-size depictions of plants, animals, and objects on striking white backgrounds. Her paintings are as much about the natural world as they are about how paintings themselves inhabit a space.
Using classical painting techniques to create entirely unique viewing experiences, Nickel’s work exudes life. She has exhibited across the world, both at home and abroad including Santa Fe, New Mexico, Turin, Italy, Manhattan, NYC, and L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France.
