Nonviolent Painting

Nard Lee is a contemporary artist whose work documents cultural memory and truth through paint, paper, and mixed media. Based in Miami, he embraces the role of revisionist historian—using each canvas as evidence in the ongoing case for remembrance. His art confronts identity, race, and history not as abstractions, but as living records. For Lee, art is never decoration; it is documentation—a visual archive of resilience and reckoning. These layered creations—subtle yet startling, intense yet inviting—ruminate in a delicate balance of beauty and disquiet. Inspired by the prodigious Jean Michel Basquiat, the surreal Salvador Dali, and increasingly, the urban expressionist Marcus Jansen, my style has evolved but maintains its connection to these masters. Raised in the stark contrasts of Southeast Washington, DC, I infuse my city's influence into every stroke. My work seeks answers to the unresolved, probing deep into the heart of racial inequity, class divides, political discourse, and religious tension. The perspective is unmistakably drawn from the lens of the underestimated observer, acutely aware of society's perception of his race and identity. I strive to inspire introspection, to challenge preconceptions and transform the way we perceive our world. My paintings, raw and rugged, embody a cryptic narrative that may elude the casual viewer. I invite you to delve into the intricate detail, to discover the profound narratives embedded within, bestowing my art with profound resonance and depth.