BIO
Nikki Painter is a Virginia artist whose mixed-media works are inspired by the natural world. She has had solo shows at Second Street Gallery, Shockoe Artspace, COOP Gallery, and Purdue University's Rueff Gallery, among others. Her work has been part of numerous group exhibitions, including shows at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, the Taubman Museum, and the Daegu Arts Center in South Korea.
Painter has attended artist residencies in Virginia, Vermont, Wyoming, Georgia, and Florida. Her work is part of many private collections and public collections including those of: Notre Dame of Maryland University, Capital One, and the Katzen Museum. In 2022, she was awarded a Fellowship for Works on Paper by the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
She resides in suburban Richmond with her husband and a growing collection of houseplants.
STATEMENT
I make mixed media works that celebrate the complexity of existence. I call them Gardens, and in them I portray flowers to evoke the feeling of time spent in nature. However, instead of showing the familiar natural world, I reinvent it using intricate patterns and intense colors.
My process begins with works on paper, and as ideas about my invented world evolve, I expand the work into the third dimension. This results in sculptures and installations that show flowers present in my collages.
Rooted in eighties pop culture, my visual style refers to bright colors and digital collage techniques that characterized music videos and cartoons of that time. They shaped my inner bank of imagery, which informs the maximalist gardens within my work.
I want my gardens to remind viewers that while our lives are fragile and always changing, they are also filled with astonishing beauty.
NIKKI PAINTER- CV
nikkipainter.art@gmail.com
b. 1980, Virginia
lives and works in Richmond, Virginia
EDUCATION
2009 - 2007 MFA in Studio Art, American University, Washington, DC
2002 - 1998 BFA in Painting and Printmaking, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025
Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA, Pattern Gardens
2018
Shockoe Artspace, Richmond, VA, Shape Shifting
2015
Fine Arts Gallery, University of Wisconsin-Marinette, Marinette, WI, Site Cycle: Moments and Versions
Rueff Gallery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, Site Cycle: Moments and Versions
Twelve21 Gallery, Orlando, FL, Deconstructing Reality
2013
Civilian Art Projects, Washington, DC, Neon Planar
2012
COOP, Nashville, TN, Space Spells
2011
Civilian Art Projects, Washington, DC, Site/Schema
2010
Rawls Museum Arts, Courtland, VA, Alternating Realities
2009
Civilian Art Projects, Washington, DC, Debriscapes
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2025
Piedmont Virginia Community College Galleries, Charlottesville, VA, Spare Parts
Northwest Arts Center, Minot, ND, INT'L All Media 2025
The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, Glen Allen, VA, Environment at Risk
Studio Break Gallery, West Chicago, IL, Studio Break Invitational
Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Richmond, VA, RVA4CERF+ Online Auction and Exhibition Fundraiser
2024
University of Mary Washington Galleries, Fredericksburg, VA, Mid-Atlantic New Painting Biennial
Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA, Cut Paste Create: The Art of Collage
Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA, The Art of Collage
2023
Slow Ready, The Gallery, Cheriton, VA, Works on Paper
Artspace Gallery, Richmond, VA, ThinkSmall 12
The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, Glen Allen, VA, Environment at Risk
Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA, Teeny Tiny Trifecta
The Delaware Contemporary, Wilmington, DE, Color Speaks
Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DC, The Barlow Gilotty Collection
2022
Shockoe Artspace, Richmond, VA, FEAST!
Artlink, Fort Wayne, IN, Nocturne
Indiana University Kokomo, Kokomo, IN, Drawn
Crooked Tree Arts Center, Traverse City, MI, Small Worlds
Zeitgeist Gallery, Nashville, TN, Art of the South
BUOY Gallery, Kittery, ME, Garden Party
Stay Home Gallery, Paris, TN, Wax & Wane
2021
Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach, VA, Made in Virginia
Dodomu Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, Heatwave (online)
Gormley Gallery, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Baltimore, MD, 32nd National Drawing and Print Exhibition
Shockoe Artspace, Richmond, VA, The Things We Build
2020
St. Louis Artists' Guild, Clayton, MO, New Perspectives in Drawing and Painting (online)
LBIF of the Arts and Sciences, Loveladies, NJ, Works on Paper 2020: National Juried Exhibition
Gallery5, Richmond, VA, Dreams (online)
The Broad Gallery for Women in the Arts, Richmond, VA, She Blooms in the Winter
2019
Shockoe Artspace, Richmond, VA, CURRENT
James Oliver Gallery/HOT•BED Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, Summer Rush
McLean Project for the Arts, McLean, VA, Strictly Painting 12
Barrett Art Center, Poughkeepsie, NY, Juxtaposition: Contemporary Collage
Plant Zero Project Space, Richmond, VA, Environment at Risk
Crooked Tree Arts Center, Traverse City, MI, Fresh Cuts: The Art of Papercraft
2018
Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Richmond, VA, Young + Artful
Charles Taylor Visual Arts Center, Hampton, VA, Virginia Artists 2018
Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV, Exhibition 280
Hambidge Center, Rabun Gap, GA, Sign of the Times: Fellows' Invitational Exhibition
Maitland Arts and History Museum, Maitland, FL, Women of the Research Studio: Past and Present
2017
Daegu Arts Center, South Korea, 15th International Exchange Exhibition of AOH
Taubman Museum, Roanoke, VA, Homeward Bound
1708 Gallery/Black Iris, Richmond, VA, Cabin Fever
2016
Linden Row Inn/1708 Satellite Space, Richmond, VA, Art Among the Ruins
Barrett Art Center, Poughkeepsie, NY, Funhouse: Art of the Surreal, Fantastic, and Bizarre
Rawls Museum Arts, Courtland, VA, EMERGING IV
Grand Gallery, McNeese University, Lake Charles, LA, 29th Annual McNeese Works on Paper
2015
The Gallery at NOVA-Woodbridge, NVCC, Woodbridge, VA, Material/Method: Contemporary Practices in Painting
FAB Gallery, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, Space Jam
Sediment, Richmond, VA, The Soul and the Pawn Shop
Artisphere, Arlington, VA, Washington Project for the Arts' SELECT: 2015
2014
Tephra Institute for Contemporary Art, Reston, VA, LineWorks: Drawing Redefined
Fosdick-Nelson Gallery, Alfred University, Alfred, NY, Ecstatically Quiet
Gallery5, Richmond, VA, Rhythm: Fall Line Fest Juried Exhibition
Project 4, Washington, DC, Centerfold Artist
Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, Arlington, VA, CSA: 40 Years of Community-Sourced Art
2013
Volume, Bethlehem, PA, Volume Recap Show
Alter Space, San Francisco, CA, Practicing to Pretend
Delicious Spectacle, Washington, DC, Unfettered
Volume, online exhibition, Building Black
2012
McLean Project for the Arts, McLean, VA, Edges and Grids
Maryland Art Place, Baltimore, MD, The Sum of the Parts
2011
Rawls Museum Arts, Courtland, VA, Episodic Narrative
Artspace Gallery, Richmond, VA, Radius 250
2010
Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DC, RE-VISION: American University Alumni
1708 Gallery, Richmond, VA, Monster Drawing Rally
Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach, VA, New Waves 2010
2009
Artspace, Richmond, VA, Think Small 5: Biennial Miniature Art Invitational
Transformer/X-Initiative, New York, NY, No Soul For Sale
New American Paintings, The Open Studios Press, Boston, MA, Mid-Atlantic States #81
Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DC, RESULTS
2008
Randall Scott Gallery, Washington, DC, Quasi-Painting
F.U.E.L. Collection, Philadelphia, PA, Grand Small Works
Transformer and Heineman Myers, Washington, DC, Paper Trail
Civilian Art Projects, Washington, DC, Quart Bag
Paperwork Gallery, Baltimore, MD, Paper Airplane
Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DC, NINE
2006
Gallery5, Richmond, VA, Urban Scrawl
SELECTED AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS
2024
Artist Fellowship Residency, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Amherst, VA
2023
Shirley Holden Helberg Grant for Mature Women, National League of American Pen Women, Washington, DC
Fellowship for Works on Paper, Virginia Commission for the Arts, Richmond, VA
2021
Purchase Prize, Notre Dame of Maryland University, Baltimore, MD
2020
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Visual Artist Relief Fellowship, Richmond, VA
WINDOWS by Golden Triangle BID, Washington, DC
2017
Artist Residency, Maitland Arts & History Museum, Maitland, FL
2016
Artist Residency, Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences, Rabun Gap, GA
2015
Adjunct Research Assistance Grant, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
2014
Artist Residency, Jentel Foundation, Banner, WY
2010
First Runner Up in New Waves 2010, Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Beach, VA
2009
Best In Show, Rawls Museum Arts, Courtland, VA
Mellon Research Grant, American University, Washington, DC
Wolpoff Purchase Award, American University, Washington, DC
2006
Artist Residency, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
SELECTED PRESS AND PUBLICATIONS
UPPERCASE Magazine, Issue 64: Transform, Uppercase Publishing Inc., Calgary, AB, January 2025.
Washington Post, Kriston Capps, "AU Museum Spotlights Two of the D.C. Art Scene's Keenest Observers," March 14, 2023.
NOT REAL ART, Morgan Laurens, "Q+Art: Dimensional Drawings: Nikki Painter Constructs Tiny, Self-Contained Worlds," November 29, 2021.
All She Makes Magazine, Issue 3, Erika B. Hess, “Studio Visit Interview with Nikki Painter,” November, 2021.
VEER Magazine, Betsy DiJulio, "Outstanding Winter Exhibitions at VA MOCA," December 15, 2021.
Commonwealth Times, Aaron Royce, ""She Blooms in Winter" plants garden-worthy art in The Broad Gallery," February 4, 2020.
The Hi-lo, Virginia Broersma, "Survival of the Artist: We are each other's Human Resources," January 6, 2020.
Shockoe Artspeak, Ryan Lauterio and Garreth Blackwell, "Shape Shifting: a Talk with Nikki Painter," iTunes, February 6, 2019.
Orlando Weekly, Richard Reep and Jessica Bryce Young, "Orlando's 2018 exhibitions snapped our eyes wide open," December 26, 2018.
Orlando Weekly, Richard Reep, "At the Maitland Art Center, the future is female- and so is the past," January 17, 2018.
Just Add Watercolor: Inspiration and Painting Techniques from Contemporary Artists, Helen Birch, Chronicle Books, 2015.
Orlando Weekly, Jessica Bryce Young, "Nikki Painter Deconstructs Reality Friday Night at Twelve12 Gallery," February 4, 2015.
East City Arts, Eric Hope, "East City Art Reviews: WPA SELECT at Artisphere," February, 2015.
Washington Post, Mark Jenkins, “In the Galleries: At Greater Reston Arts Center, no straight lines,” December 26, 2014.
Trop Mag/ Centerfold Artist, Annette Isham and Zac Willis, "Ms. December, Nikki Painter," December 18, 2013.
Washington City Paper, Louis Jacobson, “Neon Planar and Offerings at Civilian Art Projects: Two DC artists find occasional beauty in decay,” September 2013.
Freehand: Sketching Tips and Tricks Drawn from Art, Helen Birch, Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, CA, 2013.
San Francisco Arts Quarterly Online, Matthew Marchand, “Practicing to Pretend at Alter Space, San Francisco, Part 2 of 2,” August, 2013.
Washington Post, Mark Jenkins, “Journeys to the Intersection of Mind and Matter,” January 31, 2013.
Washington Post, Michael O’Sullivan, “Going Out Guide Art Review: The Sum of the Parts,” March 8, 2012.
Volume, "Nikki Painter (interview)," September, 2011.
Washington Post, Mark Jenkins, “Land artists’ works on paper show larger site-specific endeavors,” October 6, 2011.
New American Paintings, Mid-Atlantic States Competition #81, The Open Studios Press, Boston, MA, April 2009.
BMORE ART, “Quasi-Painting at Randall Scott Gallery,” December 2008.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Notre Dame of Maryland University, Baltimore, MD
Capital One Corporate Art Collection, Richmond, VA
Katzen Museum, American University, Washington, DC