Erik Nilson

Class of 2012

Sculpture

Erik Nilson (born 1991, Red Bank, N.J.) is an artist living and working in Brooklyn, N.Y. His work has been exhibited at Jack Barrett Gallery, New York; M23, New York; and other venues in the tri-state area as well as Pedvale Art Park, Sabile, Latvia. Nilson earned his bachelor’s of fine arts degree in sculpture from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University and a master’s of fine arts degree in sculpture from Yale School of Art.

Nilson’s sculptures fuse found and fabricated objects to create new, hybrid configurations. His studio is a dense trove of found objects, specimens, curiosities, and salvaged raw materials from both urban and natural environments. Meticulously joining together these objects, the resulting forms are at once familiar and otherworldly, like relics of a not-so-distant past or future. For sourcing and inspiration, the artist visits interstitial spaces — between roadways and wooded areas, land, and water — the places where everyday artifacts accumulate. Engaging with themes of hybridity, mutation, and overconsumption, Nilson’s exploration of form and structure is inspired by his personal research into natural sciences, mechanical principles, and industrial processes.