Born and raised in Los Angeles, NICK FYHRIE (pronounced “Fury”) studied painting, photography, sculpture, and new genres installations under artists including Catherine Opie, Roger Herman, Won Ju Lim, and Hirsch Perlman at UCLA where he obtained a B.A. in Fine Arts in 2006.
Nick relocated to New York in 2008 where he completed two Residency programs at The School of Visual Arts to enrich his portfolio and develop his now recognizable gestural style best highlighted in his ‘Disco Romance’ series of oil paintings of disco balls.
Nick has donated to various charities and benefits including Visual AIDS, FREE ARTS NYC, Room to Read, and Art Love Japan. His paintings are in several private collections in Los Angeles, New York, and Italy.
In September 2011, Nick will be commencing his Masters of Fine Arts degree at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
Favorite Artists: Gustave Moreau, Otto Dix, Max Beckmann, Ru Paul, Jerri Blank, Patti Smith, Robert Mappelthorpe, Grace Hartigan, Aristide Maillol, Rodin, Alice Neil, Hernan Bass.
Favorite Designers: Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Pierre Cardin, Givenchy.
Favorite Music Artists: Chet Baker, Lauryn Hill, Empire of the Sun, Billie Holiday, LCD Sound System, Larry Levan disco mixes, Loletta Halloway, Jack Johnson, Nina Simone, Rhianna, The Beatles.
Likes: pastries, coffee, wine, contradictions, old Jewish couples, Paris, interior design, disco music, hardware, boots, Autumn, dark humor, romance, cats, the beach.
On Painting: “A beautiful painting reveals the truth, the answer to an abstract question. It is harmonious through balancing contrasting elements. It brings you inside and back to the surface, like a gentle or rough wave in the ocean. It is awesome and bothersome. It is not a decoration – it is a declaration.”