How Do We Relate Painting

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 demonstrate ways of making that are aligned with a circular economy. Moving seamlessly between large scale installations, works on canvas, garments and graceful drawings, Nicole’s works aesthetically resemble collage while maintaining their painterly qualities. She combines dyed textiles, painted scraps and layered inks in a delicate balance between intuition and exploration. 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.