Nathalie Gribinski

Nathalie Gribinski is a French-American artist based in Chicago whose work spans painting, drawing, illustration, and visual storytelling. For more than three decades, she has developed a rich and distinctive body of work characterized by vibrant color, dynamic compositions, and evolving visual languages.

Among the most recognizable of these languages are the Tourlicoulis, a world of forms, symbols, and characters that originated from a word invented by her brother and gradually evolved into a visual vocabulary of its own. Through recurring motifs, expressive line work, and bold color relationships, Gribinski creates paintings that explore communication, connection, humor, harmony, and emotional depth.

Born in Algiers and raised in France, Gribinski studied law in Paris before moving to Chicago, where she earned a degree in Graphic Design from Columbia College Chicago. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in private collections in the United States and Europe. In 2015, Christine Ruiz Picasso acquired one of her Tourlicoulis works, recognizing the originality of the visual language she had developed.

Whether working through abstraction, symbolism, or the evolving world of the Tourlicoulis, Gribinski continues t...

Columbia College, Chicago, USA
B.A. of Arts

Roosevelt University, Chicago, USA
Continued studies in Arts

Assas University, Paris, France
B.A. of Science

Solo exhibits:
• “Tourlicoulis,” Spot, Chicago, USA | 2025
• “Dances of Colors,” The Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts, Chicago, USA | 2024
• “Les Tourlicoulis: A 30 Years Retrospective”, Povos Gallery, Chicago, USA | 2022
• “Never Out of Shapes,” Fulton Market Kitchen, Chicago, USA | 2021
• “The Sacred Woman,” The Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts, Chicago, USA | 2019
• “Tourlicoulis d’Aujourd’hui,” private space, Chicago, USA | 2015
• “Ebullition Two,” State Street Gallery, Chicago, USA | 2007
• “Ebullition,” Expgallery, Chicago, USA | 2006
• “Peintures et Tourlicoulis,” La Chapelle Saint Férréol, Provence, France | 2005
• “Aventures des Tourlicoulis,” private space, Chicago, USA | 2005

Group Exhibits:
• 14th Annual Juried Art Competition,” Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago, USA | 2026
• “Vinoteca” Vagabond Art, Chicago, USA | 2025
• “Bloom,” Povos Gallery, Chicago, USA | 2023
• “Art and Interiors,” ALMA art and interiors, Chicago, USA | 2021
• “DressMe – Milano Fashion Week,” (virtual exhibit) M.A.D.S. Gallery Milano, Milan, Italy | 2020
• “What’s Yours Is Mine,” Columbia College, Chicago, USA | 2015
• “Time Signatures,” Coalition Gallery, Chicago, USA | 2012
• “Constructive Characters,” Coalition Gallery, Chicago...