About Nichole Westfall
With the ability to work with the world around me, my work ranges from large-scale murals and installations to smaller paintings, sculptures, and prints. My murals are often joyful, whimsical scenes created with large blocks of color. In contrast, my smaller works are often identity-driven, focusing on the complexities of race and gender. I focus on the presence of beauty, humor, and joy, even when dealing with complicated (and dark) experiences or concepts. Both works are influenced by a multidisciplinary practice.
Biography
I am an illustrator and muralist currently based in Charleston. I grew up in West Virginia, nestled between the two small towns of Bomont and Clendenin. As someone who has felt the need to be fluid between two or more groups, my practice follows the same principle. I use painting, drawing, printmaking, sewing, and sculpture in my work. I have always enjoyed dabbling in more than one thing; for me, validation for this type of practice was solidified when I studied at the University of the Arts London and the Saas-Fee Summer Institute of Art. These courses opened my world, but West Virginia embraced it. I have worked in window design, marketing, community organizing, and teaching. However, (even with a fear of heights), I feel most at home on a lift, painting on the side of a building.
