Reflections of a Skull Tessellation 2 Artwork

Nicholas Dertien, is a Austin based artist, educator and small business owner. After completing his MFA at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2009, Nicholas set up a private sculpture studio in Austin. He has exhibited work in Marfa, Seattle, Austin, Providence and New York. Over the past decade, Nicholas’s major studio themes have focused on visually representing the sensation of breath, asthma and the eroding of the physical body. In 2015, Nicholas launched Visual Ministry Consulting which strives to create visually vibrant experiences for local worshiping communities. Nicholas is an adjunct faculty member at Austin Community College and Concordia University Texas, where he teaches drawing, design, glass, photography and ceramics. As an educator Nicholas believes that creating a "non-fear based learning environment" is critical for a creative studio course. Within this learning environment students learn to use a discovery based practice, the design development process and critiques as a tool for positive growth. His teaching philosophy can be found on his website. Nicholas lives and works in south Austin with his wife and four sons.