ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a visual artist with a love for contrast as well as vibrant colors. My artwork is along the lines of surrealism and often tells a story. I specialize in pen stippling, painting and digital collage. I consider my art to be visual poems or stories and I love taking the most morbid tale and adding strength & hope to it through color. My artwork is often inspired by music as well as growth, which often manifests as lush and wild plant life.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Nicole Van Dyken is a Black American, interdisciplinary artist based in Chicago. Creating art since she was a child, Nicole received many accolades throughout her schooling for artistic achievement. Lacking the courage to pursue her passion, Nicole channeled her people skills into a career in Human Resources Management for several years until she became a stay at home mom. Now a mother of four, with a renewed passion for art, Nicole creates artwork that can be considered visual poems or stories. These are often stories of trauma and growth. Nicole takes even the most morbid tale and adds strength and hope to it though color or contrast; whether it is a painting, pen stippling or digital collage. Nicole was one of the artists accepted into the 2024 Black Creativity Juried Art Exhibition at The Griffin Museum of Science & Industry. She has been accepted five times into ArtPrize, an international art competition in Grand Rapids MI.
© Nicole Van Dyken