NICOLE YOUNG
Painting, Works on Paper, Collage, Textiles, Installation Art
Trying to Water You, 2021
botanical inks on paper
12” x 9”
City: Vancouver, British Columbia
Website: http://www.nicoleyoungart.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/nicoleyoungart
Instagram: http://instagram.com/nicoleyoungart
Artist Statement: While my work has so much to do with land, I do not wish to present the viewer with a realistic interpretation of a landscape. Instead, my goal is to convey the connections formed between various plants, the patterns that occur in the wild, and the memories that nature leaves behind in our minds. I think of my work as abstracted versions of traditional botanical illustrations, showcasing the properties of a plant based on what colours and textures can be coaxed out of them. The gathering of materials and production of pigments is of equal importance to the creation of the final work itself, and nothing is wasted in the creation process. Any leftover textiles, papers and canvas are always used in future paintings. I combine dyed textiles, painted scraps and layered inks in a delicate balance between intuition and exploration. In creating these paintings I am demonstrating the value of working with the land, and creating within a circular economy.
Biography: Nicole Young is an interdisciplinary abstract artist based on the traditional, unceded and occupied territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations (Vancouver, BC.) Working in the confluence of visual arts, environmentalism and storytelling, her works are as much science experiments as they are conversations on ways to approach climate justice. She creates her own pigments and dyes out of natural and often wild foraged materials including plant matter and minerals as a way to deepen her connection with the land, and to create a dialogue about waste-free practices. Moving seamlessly between large scale textile installations, works on canvas, garments and graceful drawings, Nicole’s works aesthetically resemble collage while maintaining their painterly qualities.
Born in Ontario, Nicole attended the University of British Columbia Okanagan where she received a BFA in Visual Arts and Art History, and studied studio arts and art history at the University of California Los Angeles. Her work has been exhibited in Canada and abroad since 2010, and her paintings are in private collections throughout the globe.