Nina Miller

Artist Statement

In my artistic practice, I delve into the realms of the visceral, the physical, and the layered. My artistic practice is rooted in an intuitive, process-driven exploration of color, gesture, and materiality as a means of understanding my inner experience and my relationship to the external world. I approach the surfaces I work on as sites of accumulation—where marks, textures, and layers function as both records and proofs of time, presence, and emotion. My work often references the landscapes and environments I am surrounded by, whether urban or natural. Some of my major influences are artists from the Abstract Expressionist movement, specifically women artists who were often overlooked at the time. These artists include Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell, Lee Krasner, and Helen Frankenthaler. More contemporary artists whose work inspires me are Andrea Marie Breiling, Franz West, Katharina Grosse, Diana Al Hadid, and Emmi Whitehorse. My paintings are a psychological or internal reflection—pulling colors from natural scenery or city structures and juxtaposing them. Through this approach, I am interested in how painting can act as a mind-scape: a place where memory, sensation, time, grief, and perception coexist. In particular, I am drawn to color and mark-making as living forces, with emotional, symbolic, and bodily resonance. I am inspired by natural processes such as erosion, growth, and decay, as well as by ancient mark-making traditions and childhood modes of exploration. My work seeks a balance between chaos and control, similar to the way nature evolves. As I work, I allow questions to arise from the canvas and remain open to the possibility of answers. This method allows the work to remain open, vulnerable, and responsive, while still grounded. Through my work, I find inspiration from the primal act of mark-making in ancient caves, echoing a connection to humanity's earliest expressions and storytelling. I am also interested in childhood development and the sense of complete curiosity we often lose as we grow older. My practice allows me to deepen my sense of self and connection to the timeless human experience. In the midst of our rapidly evolving, instant-gratification society with constant distractions, I believe we've lost our way. For me, the intricate yet straightforward act of creating allows me to return to simplicity and be fully present.