Andrew Nicholls Artist Talk NAS

Artist Talk with Andrew Nicholls at NASAndrew Nicholls, a finalist in the 24th Dobell Drawing Prize presents an artist talk at the National Art School (NAS). Recorded live on 12th April 2025 offering insight into his practice and the work selected for this prestigious award. Known for his meticulously detailed drawings, Nicholls explores themes of history and cultural exchange. This talk provides a unique opportunity to engage with his creative process and the broader dialogue surrounding contemporary drawing.-------------Andrew Nicholls is one of Western Australia’s most renowned and beloved contemporary artists, celebrated for his high-baroque and high-camp drawings, ceramics and photography, in addition to his expansive site-responsive curatorial projects, which have drawn inspiration from heritage and museum sites across Western Australia, Italy and the United Kingdom.Nicholls’ work explores how power has been expressed through aesthetics during the past three thousand years of Western culture. In particular, his works draw attention to seemingly benign or trivial artistic or folk traditions that nonetheless reveal profound insight into the political, social and economic context from which emerged. In recent years, this has particularly included the history of Western Magick, as a highly-subversive force on the fringes of Western culture.The artist explains:“As a lapsed Catholic boasting over two decades as an agnostic-atheist, during the 2020 lockdowns I was some-what bemused to find myself re-establishing a spiritual practice, when I was drawn to begin performing ritual magick. For me, as with practitioners throughout history, this provided a profound space of composure and empowerment from which to enact change in a world that had seemingly descended into chaos. My artmaking has subsequently aligned with this practice, resulting in works with a magickal intent built into them, or which are designed to encourage viewers to partake in ritual acts, or to strengthen my connection with various spiritual entities.”For 12 years, M Contemporary offered visitors and collectors the opportunity to experience a curated selection of the best emerging Australian artists alongside more established artists from around the world, fostering cross-cultural dialogue and provoking thoughtful reflection on global issues. Committed to being progressive, diverse, and nurturing fresh talent, we provide continuous visibility through exhibitions and art fairs.Visit us in Darlinghurst or explore our artists, events, and available works online.follow us @mcontemporary & visit https://mcontemp.com/ for more information.