Wendy Nichol

Artist Statement:

Wendy Nichol is a New York City-based Painter, Jeweler, and Fashion Designer. Since 2007, Nichol has been known for her independent hand-crafted design practice "Wendy Nichol", where she dresses clients ranging from downtown punks to Beyonce. Nichol's designs are driven by artists of the fluxus movement, the Romantic and Gothic periods, ancient symbolism, mysticism and witchcraft. Bucking the typical cycle of fashion, Nichol has created a continuous conversation between releases that explores a repeating set of symbols and experiences spanning over a decade. Typical mediums in her design practice include painted, braided, and whipstitched leather, silk, gossamer, tulle, gold, silver, crystals, pearls, and gemstones, amongst other luxury materials.

Nichol's paintings capture the sensuality of working with and wearing certain materials, with focus on the complex experience of feminine pleasure. After years of painting on leather, Nichol has turned to canvas to express what can't be portrayed in her design practice. Specifically, Nichol's paintings explore her relationship to the subconscious, divination, and past-life experiences. Objects of Nichol's everyday, such as leather, diamonds, pearls, and latex, are the subjects of her focused portraits. When she incorporates a figure, they often remain anonymous, both objectifying the subject and focusing on their entanglement with material. Nichol paints people and objects in an editorial manner, creating a studied distance that mirrors a softcore centerfold. Her compositions and treatment of acrylic paint craft a gauzy femminine-gaze driven by accessories of pleasure both usual and unexpected.