NICOLE ETIENNE
B. 1974
Amercian
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Nicole Etienne's practice probes the beauty inherent in the atmosphere between the sky, land, and sea; exploring the play of light upon water on an aesthetic, emotional, and visceral level. She does this by appealing to our senses and our intuition, and by drawing on earthy materials like aluminum, silver, gold, crystal, and semi-precious stones. She is well known for her sumptuous landscapes. Her finished work has an illuminated, romantic, powerful yet delicate presence, which captures the shift between reality and paradise.“I gather, layer, collect, scrape, shatter, expose, photograph, play, and dream.”
Born in Santa Cruz, California, where her mother was also a painter, Etienne traveled to Italy to explore the history of Western art. There she discovered the great classic and Baroque masters who inspired her work greatly: languid female nudes, contoured flesh, or the red and pink tones that dominate delicate complexions, evoking the palette of a Rubens; Landscapes whose lines disappear under a veil, at the very moment before or after the sunset.
Her more recent mixed media works combine her love of opulent interiors and the use of photography and painting to see her vivid imagination construct a scene taking place in an elegant dining room or stately home. She creates beautiful chaos of details, animals feasting or birds breaking free.
Residencies
2012 Artist in Residence; Eden Rock Gallery, St. Barthélemy, FWI
2011 Artist in Residence; Eden Rock Gallery, St. Barthélemy, FWI
2010 Artist in Residence; Eden Rock Gallery, St. Barthélemy, FWI
2010 Artist in Residence; Cill Rialaig, Ireland
2009 Artist in Residence; Eden Rock Gallery, St. Barthélemy, FWI
2009 Artist in Residence; Cill Rialaig, Ireland
2008 Artist in Residence; Cill Rialaig, Ireland
2007 Artist in Residence; Cill Rialaig, Ireland
2006 Artist in Residence; Cill Rialaig, Ireland
2005 Artist in Residence; Cill Rialaig, Ireland
2004 Artist in Residence; Cill Rialaig, Ireland
2003 Artist in Residence; Cill Rialaig, Ireland
2002 Artist in Residence; Cill Rialaig, Ireland
2001 Artist in Residence; Cill Rialaig, Ireland
2000 Artist in Residence; Cill Rialaig, Ireland
Solo Exhibitions
2020 Small Wonders, Space Gallery St Barth, Online
2018The Darling Buds of May, Bert Green Gallery, Chicago, IL
2017 Love, Space Gallery St Barth, St. Barthélemy, FWI
2016The Garden of Earthly Delights, Grace Belgravia, London, United Kingdom
2016 Mischief and Mayhem, Gallery 49, Aspen, CO
2015Delights, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, United Kingdom
2015 The Great Escape, Mead Carney Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2015Menagerie, Space Gallery St Barth, St. Barthélemy, FWI
2014 Submerged, Naval Heritage Museum, Porto, Montenegro
2013The Chase: A One Night Stand, Blake’s Hotel, London, United Kingdom
2013Into Blue, The Eden Rock Gallery, St. Barthélemy, FWI
2012 Atomic 13, The Eden Rock Gallery, St. Barthélemy, FWI
2011 A Moveable Feast, Sloan Fine Art, New York, NY
2010 Bare, The Eden Rock Gallery, St. Barthélemy, FWI
2010 Boudoir, 286 Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2009 Land Water Sky, Urban Retreat Gallery, Dublin, Ireland
Group Exhibitions
2019Art She Says, Space Gallery St Barth, New York City, NY
2012 Cill Rialaig 21 Anniversary Exhibition, County Kerry Royal Western Academy, Coates and Scarry, London, United Kingdom
2011 Lesley Heller Workspace, New York City, NY
2011 Sloan Fine Art, New York City, NY
2010 Queen Elms Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2010 The Eden Rock Gallery, St. Barthélemy, FWI
2010 Medialia Gallery, New York City, NY
2009Take Home A Nude presented by New York Academy of Art, Sotheby's New York, New York City, NY
2008 Take Home A Nude presented by New York Academy of Art, Sotheby's New York, New York City, NY
2007 Wills Art Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2006 Bliss, London, United Kingdom
2005 Wills Art Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2005 Bliss, London, United Kingdom
2004 Wills Art Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2002 Wills Art Gallery, London, United Kingdom
2002 Zantmans, Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
Press & Publications
2021 S21, Ep1 – South West London 2021, Grand Designs (Television), 06 January 2021
2017 Glaviano 50 and Nicole Etienne, St Barths Weekly, February 2017