Concrete By: Nikki Vismara

Nikki Vismara is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and completed a Master’s Degree specializing in Paleolithic Art at the Université Lumière in Lyon, France. Vismara lived in France for nearly a decade where she taught English & Art History at the university level, traveled extensively, and did humanitarian work in West Africa. She decided to return to her native California after spending a summer in San Francisco making bikes out of bamboo.

In Artist’s Words:
Rooted in concept and emotion, my artwork today is intuitively accomplished and always evolving. Working in series allows me to experiment with different materials and develop new techniques. I love the unpredictability of abstract painting and the physical demands of working large. I build the canvases myself, and they are often bigger than me. My monochromatic series explore the coexistence of light and dark, both literally and metaphorically, while my other abstract work is often in close conversation with nature and influenced by my surroundings.