about
Born in 1987, Salt Lake City based artist Michael Nikola has honed his skills in landscape painting for over the past decade. What started as a childhood outlet for creativity has evolved into a lifelong passion and talent.
Originally an illustrator, Michael blended his creativity, problem solving, and technical skills with his love for the outdoors, uniting his two passions.
Michael’s venture into landscape painting provides him a platform to focus on the big picture and extend the range of his talent. His use of loose stokes enables him to communicate with suggestions rather than precise detail, with the goal of finding a balance between raw painterly brushwork and a believable representation of his subject matter.
Michael attended Salt Lake Community College where he earned an Associates of Applied Science in Illustration. He then went to Utah Valley University, graduating in 2011 with a Bachelor of Fine Art, emphasis in Illustration, (cum laude). When he’s not painting, Michael loves to travel and hike with his wife, and is a full-time graphic designer working closely with brands to define their creative identity, and bring their vision to life using various mediums.
Solo EXHIBITIONS
2019 – Redman Gallery “Skylines” Sugar House, UT, December 2019 - January 2020
2016 – George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Art Gallery “Nature: A Retrospective” Salt Lake City, UT, August
2015 – Paxton Gate Curiosities “Strike Away” San Francisco, California, April - June 2014
2014 – The Leonardo “High West” Salt Lake City, UT, January
2013 – Taylorsville City Hall “Eileen” Taylorsville, UT, March 2012 - March 2013
2013 – Urban Vintage Gallery “The Value of Light” Salt Lake City, UT, December 2012 - February 2013
2012 – UVU, The Trustees Room “Impressions of Nature” Orem, UT, August 2011 - February 2012
2011 – Woodbury Art Museum “Impressions of Nature” Orem, Ut, April
2010 – Provo City Court House Gallery “Landscapes” Provo, UT, October 2010 - May 2011
For questions, email michaelnikolaart@gmail.com