Oakland-based, nomadic artist specializing in live painting and multidisciplinary arts.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

I am Nicole Shek (she/her; they/them), an Oakland-based interdisciplinary artist working across painting, photography, textiles, graphics, and illustration. My creative process is rooted in intuitive experimentation, flowstate, and wabi-sabi aesthetics — embracing imperfection and the beauty of uncertainty.
My work explores the interconnectedness between human experience, spatial relationships, and the shifting boundaries between inner and outer worlds. Through bold color, layered textures, and abstract expressionist forms, I investigate the delicate balance between light and darkness, order and chaos, seeking moments of clarity and transformation within the unknown.
Each painting is an act of resilience and a personal ritual of emotional release. The process is inherently experimental — I enter each piece without a set destination, allowing the work to evolve organically. Titles and meanings emerge only at the end, shaped by the emotional and spiritual terrain navigated throughout its creation.
Themes of melancholy, transformation, and awakening weave through my practice, reflecting the dualities present in both life and art. Painting allows me to honor both personal and collective experiences — holding space for vulnerability, beauty, and the ongoing search for connection and meaning within the ever-shifting landscapes we inhabit.