Nicole Chesney: Exquire
Gallery NAGA, Boston
May 2 - May 31, 2025
Gallery NAGA presents its fourth major solo exhibition of paintings by the acclaimed artist NICOLE CHESNEY.
Exquire showcases a compelling new body of work that explores the transformative qualities of glass as a painting surface. Nicole Chesney masterfully adds, subtracts, and moves oil paint around the glass, creating a dynamic interplay of color and reflection. Unlike traditional canvas, the glass surface allows for unique optical effects, where colors are reflected in unexpected ways. Chesney's innovative approach pushes the boundaries of traditional painting by exploring complex relationships between the inherent luminosity and reflectiveness of glass and the applied paint color, resulting in nuanced and shifting visual experiences. This invites viewers to engage with the artwork from multiple perspectives and in different lighting conditions. In works such as Vivida, this is particularly evident in the subtle yet captivating shifts in color as the viewer's viewpoint changes. The resulting atmospheric quality in her work often evokes the subtle gradations and transient beauty of weather phenomena, from hazy light to the crispness after a storm.
The new paintings in Exquire are confident and exciting, conveying depth and illusion through Chesney's varied and expressive strokes. Notably, and for the very first time, two of the paintings in this exhibition take on a tondo form, a circular format historically significant in art, particularly during the Renaissance. Nicole Chesney was compelled to transform her composition within this classical structure. Furthermore, Chesney's use of multi-panel formats recalls the visual storytelling seen in chapel altarpieces and devotional art. This creates a feeling of interconnectedness and an immersive experience for the viewer.
Nicole Chesney's work has garnered international recognition and is held in numerous prestigious permanent collections, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, New Britain Museum of American Art, Toledo Museum of Art, Newport Art Museum, RISD Museum, Palm Springs Art Museum, Corning Museum of Glass, and many more.
Gallery NAGA
67 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116
