Garry Nichols
ARTIST STATEMENT
BIOGRAPHY
Since I’ve been living in New York, my paintings have evolved into landscapes of symbols collected from direct observations of nature, and from specific memories of my childhood in Tasmania. I often employ cherished retreived objects from this landscape, its temperate rain forest, its scattered animal bones, ancient paths and intense dry heat. After I left my home country, I found it necessary to develop a rich symbology of color – ochres, greens and yellows to reflect the lush palette of the Tasmanian rain forest, contrasted with the black, red and white of the dry heat. The color is applied to a composition employing pattern, rhythm and repetition. I have transformed this remembered landscape into a personal landscape.
Garry Nichols’ practice is deeply rooted in personal connection and a commitment to abstract representation. In 2012, a chance encounter at a Filipino Teachers Association event, held during a championship boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and a Mexican challenger, sparked the beginning of a powerful portrait series. There, Nichols met Roxanne, a Filipino science teacher and Trans woman who became the subject of several early works.
Since then, Nichols has continued to create portraits that celebrate the dignity, strength, and individuality of Trans women, often focusing on successful professionals whose stories challenge stereotypes. Through these intimate works, Nichols offers a powerful counter narrative at a time when Trans rights are increasingly under attack.
Born in Tasmania, Australia, Garry Nichols studied fine art at the National Art School in Sydney before receiving the Marten Bequest Traveling Art Prize in 1978. This award allowed him to study the works of European masters before moving to New York, where he attended the New York Studio School from 1978 to 1985. Nichols has exhibited extensively in New York, including at the Brooklyn Museum, White Columns, and the Drawing Center, as well as in Australia at the National Gallery of Victoria and the Art Gallery of New South Wales. His work is held in collections in New York, Japan, and Australia. Throughout his career, Nichols has received numerous awards, including grants from the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. In addition to his artistic practice, he has taught painting and drawing at institutions such as Parsons School of Design, the National Academy of Design, and the University of Tasmania.
Nichols lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, while regularly returning to Tasmania to create, exhibit, and teach.
Jimena with Iguana, 2014
Oil on canvas, 24" x 16"