Elisabeth Nicula

Primarily a woodcut printmaker, I work in an improvisational, modular manner by carving many blocks in a set and printing them in different combinations. I also work more traditionally in copper intaglio. My paintings are for generating ideas, exploring new imagery, and bringing themes to a close.

Outer space and the natural world, mathematics and machinery, cells and microorganisms – sums and all their component parts – are continuing sources of inspiration. I hope to evoke strong emotions with simple ingredients.

My overarching focus is on the arrangement of forms, color, and emptiness; I aim to create a balance of these elements to convey an impression of boundaries, opposing forces, and unexpected commonality. My work is highly susceptible to the habits and obsessions I’ve acquired as a graphic designer, and I try to counterbalance order and containment with loose, organic imagery that a viewer can interpret in many ways.