ABOUT THE ARTIST
Nikki SF is an accomplished artist and advocate within San Francisco's vibrant artistic communities. After graduating from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Nikki pursued her Master's Degree in Paleolithic Art at the Université Lumière in Lyon, France. During her decade in France, she taught Art History at one of the country's top-ranked engineering universities while developing her artistic practice. Her artwork has been deeply influenced by her extensive global travels, including humanitarian work in West Africa, where she helped children in remote areas access clean water and education. In 2024, Nikki completed a spiritual pilgrimage, walking over 600 miles on the Camino del Norte from Bayonne, France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
Based in San Francisco, Nikki creates from her studio at Hunters Point Shipyard, a decommissioned naval base that houses the nation’s largest artist community. She serves on the Board of Directors for The Shipyard Trust for the Arts, advocating for over 300 working artists at the historic Shipyard. She is also an active member of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Community Steering Committee, championing environmental justice for Bayview-Hunters Point.
Her work has been featured at prestigious venues including the de Young Museum, Miami Art Week during Art Basel Miami Beach, Palm Springs Art Fair, and Saks Fifth Avenue, where she also engaged in live painting events. Her art reached millions when featured on Times Square's monumental 12,000-square-foot digital billboard as part of the world's largest public art fair. Nikki dedicates much of her time to commissioned works and exhibiting her art, which is held in private collections worldwide.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work is driven by both concept and emotion, unfolding through an intuitive process. I enjoy working in series because it offers the discipline of repetition alongside the freedom to explore new mediums and techniques.
I’m drawn to abstract painting because of its inherent unpredictability and fluidity of the process, and I enjoy the physicality of working on a large scale. I build my own canvases, many of which are larger than I am, allowing the act of painting to become an immersive, physical experience. Each piece evolves over time, with many layers building up the final composition. This layering process compels me to slow down, reflect, and develop patience—an essential part of my practice.
In my monochromatic series, I investigate the balance of light and dark, both in a literal and metaphorical sense. My more vibrant abstract works are often shaped by the environment around me. My studio, located at a decommissioned naval base on the San Francisco Bay, draws me toward themes of water, nature, and the constant change in the landscape—reflections that frequently find their way into my paintings.
Whether I’m working on large-scale pieces or experimenting with new materials, I am continually challenged by, and deeply satisfied with, the act of painting. The process itself is as significant to me as the finished work.
