Artist Statement
As a figurative painter, I am fascinated by the curious, impossible ambition of humanity: to fully understand one another. Through my art, I explore the tension between my subject’s surface
and their depth. I convey depth physically and metaphorically, through value tones, atmospheric layering, and moments of realism. I reference my subject’s surface with flat planes, formed by graphic patterning and drop shadows. I weave this patchwork of styles together with a variety of media, including oil paint, aerosol, charcoal, and ink pen.
The conflict between surface and depth presents a cryptic view of my subject. Patches of realism provide specific glimpses of an individual subject, but these moments of intimate detail are layered with spaces of anonymity, suggested by flat, abstract patterns. This camouflage suggests the mystery of human identity, and the futility of our attempts to fully decode it. Yet,
relationships are at our core, and humans and artists never stop trying. I try to shape my paintings with our shared basic, absurd human drive to truly know another person.
Artist Bio
Nick Stull received his BFA from Ohio Wesleyan University with a concentration in painting, drawing, and sculpture. His experimental portraiture and figurative paintings have been exhibited nationally and he is represented by the Sarah Gormley Gallery in Columbus, Ohio. Recent solo and two-person exhibitions include: Emergent Properties, Sarah Gormley Gallery, Columbus, OH (2024); Room with a View, Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield, OH (2023), Surfaces, Sarah Gormley Gallery, Columbus, OH (2022); Vessel Verses, Blockfort Gallery, Columbus, OH (2020); Subcutaneous, Gallery 22, Delaware, OH (2019); and All the Water We Have is All the Water We Have Ever Had, Red Arrow Gallery, Nashville, TN (2018) Nick also owns an art & design company called Day Blink Creative, specializing in large-scale murals, custom paintings & portraiture, and branding & design projects. Taking inspiration from his studio artwork, Nick is particularly drawn toward creating murals that convey the individuality and complexity of certain communities, and the individuals that make up those unique groups.
Prior to Day Blink Creative, Nick was an exhibit designer and installation supervisor at the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University. He oversaw the design, layout, and installation of numerous exhibitions. Nick’s past positions also include: Co-Owner and Gallery Director of 83 Gallery and Gallery Director of Mac Worthington Gallery. Nick serves on the board for The Ross Art Museum at Ohio Wesleyan University.
