Nikki de León is a painter and sculptor of German and Mexican-American heritage based between California and Germany. With a background in interior design and architecture, alongside professional experience in wood and metal fabrication, her practice is fundamentally rooted in the logic of construction. Her work is shaped by an ongoing exploration of structural influences and the physical properties of her materials. Her compositions are defined by abstract, geometric forms that emerge from a fundamental blackness. While her paintings achieve a sharp, graphic precision, her sculptural works exist in a state of precarious equilibrium, creating structural frameworks finding their own structural stability.
Artist Statement
My practice is an act of abstract re\construction. It is a space in the shadows that is not an end point, but a foundation of balance. Structure and spatial elements exist in an autonomous state. I don’t want to just inhabit structure or accept it as given. It is a commitment to deconstruct and reassemble. I create a connected void in which I establish my own statics. These compositions thrive on the precision of the edges that define the weight of the paint. It is a study in structural resistance where form exists as a counter-narrative to the surrounding shadows. My sculptures transfer this into physical space, working with solid materials to achieve a sense of weightlessness and allowing the massive to float.