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| Nicolas Party | |
|---|---|
| Name | Nicolas Party |
| Birth date | 1980 |
| Birth place | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Field | Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Mural |
| Training | École cantonale d'art de Lausanne |
Nicolas Party Nicolas Party is a Swiss visual artist known for large-scale pastel paintings, murals, and immersive installations that reimagine landscape, portraiture, and still life. He works across drawing, painting, sculpture, and site-specific projects, often transforming exhibition spaces into dreamlike environments that engage museums, biennials, and public venues. His practice draws international attention and is represented by prominent commercial galleries and included in major institutional collections.
Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, Party studied at the École cantonale d'art de Lausanne before relocating to New York City and later Montreal. During his formative years he encountered peers and mentors from institutions such as the Royal College of Art, the School of Visual Arts, and the Pratt Institute, and exhibited alongside alumni from the Yale School of Art and the Rhode Island School of Design. His early trajectory involved residencies and studio exchanges connected with the Centre Pompidou, the Tate, and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía networks.
Party's visual language synthesizes references to 20th-century movements and individual artists including Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Félix Vallotton, Giorgio de Chirico, and Paul Cézanne while dialoguing with contemporary painters such as David Hockney, Alex Katz, and Elizabeth Peyton. He employs pastel and colored-pencil techniques reminiscent of Odilon Redon and Pierre Bonnard, and composes scenes that echo theatrical sets used by Robert Wilson and Merce Cunningham collaborations. Critics place his work in conversation with institutions like the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and biennials including the Venice Biennale for its immersive, scenographic qualities.
Party's solo exhibitions have been hosted at major venues including the New Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Palais de Tokyo, the Fondation Beyeler, and the Carnegie Museum of Art. Notable installations feature site-specific mural cycles and pastel wall paintings that recall the decorative programs of the Palace of Versailles and the public commissions of Diego Rivera. He has participated in thematic group shows at the Serpentine Galleries, the Walker Art Center, and the Art Institute of Chicago, and his work appeared in curated exhibitions alongside artists represented by galleries such as Gagosian, Galerie Perrotin, and David Zwirner.
Party has produced large-scale public commissions for institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, municipal arts programs in cities such as New York City, Montreal, and Los Angeles, and cultural sites like the Royal Academy of Arts. His murals and pavilion designs have been integrated into fairs and festivals organized by the Frieze Art Fair, the Armory Show, and the Venice Architecture Biennale, engaging collaborations with architects from firms that have worked with the Serpentine Pavilion program. He has also contributed to book and magazine projects published by houses such as Taschen and editorial platforms like Artforum and Frieze.
He has received accolades and support from foundations and institutions including grants associated with the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia, fellowships connected to the Guggenheim Foundation, and prizes awarded by organizations like the Fondation pour l'Art Contemporain. Critics and arts writers from outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Le Monde have noted his influence on contemporary painting, while curators from the National Gallery of Canada and the Centre Pompidou have organized retrospectives and commissioned projects recognizing his contribution.
Party's work is held in public and private collections including the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Guggenheim Museum, the Tate Modern, the National Gallery of Canada, the Fondation Beyeler, and corporate collections associated with international institutions. He is represented by major galleries with operations in cities such as Paris, New York City, and Los Angeles, and his editions and publications are distributed by publishers that collaborate with museums like the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain.
Category:Swiss painters Category:Contemporary artists