Her body of work incorporates small and large scale pieces as well as outdoor installations and location-specific commissions. Nikki’s sculptures can be found in sculpture parks, commercial spaces and private homes.
Nikki grew up in a creative household centred around dance and she has always had a deep passion for the arts and a fascination for the human form. This includes the body itself as well as the forces of movement and dance.
Nikki commenced her formal art studies at the Academia di Cesare Crespi (Milan) in 1997 while she was living in Italy. When she returned to Australia in 1999, Nikki studied at The National Art School (NAS) in Darlinghurst, completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (major Sculpture, minor Printmaking) in 2001.
Since graduating from NAS, Nikki has featured in more than 25 exhibitions including Sculpture by the Sea Bondi (2002, 2004, 2006), Sculpture by the Sea Cottesloe (2006, 2007) and the Robin Gibson Gallery’s Annual Sculpture Survey.
In 2003, Nikki was one of only two Australian sculptors selected from over 800 international submissions to exhibit at the Toyamura International Sculpture Biennale in Japan.
Nikki held her first solo exhibition in 2004 at Maree Mizon Gallery Sydney and went on to mount many successful solo exhibitions at Maree Mizon Gallery and Frances Keevil Gallery, Sydney in addition to participating in numerous group exhibitions and sculpture events.
In 2010, following the birth of her daughter, Nikki dedicated herself to the transformation and artistic developments of the family dance business. In 2022 Nikki returned to sculpture full-time with renewed passion.
Nikki shares her time between the Southern Highlands in NSW, where she has the space to create large scale works and is inspired daily by her rural surroundings, and her BrandX studio residency at St Leonards where she loves sharing space with other artists and creating her ideas and smaller scale works
“My work is predominantly figurative and revolves around the recurring themes of ’relationships’ and ’the roller coaster journey of life’. My early sculptures often encompass a group of figures engaged in some sort of dialogue and interaction. I like to call these sculptures ’encounters’ and they appear to the viewer as a moment captured in time. The encounters are usually drawn from real moments or incidents in my life, and the relationships around me, however I aim to achieve an underlying sense of ambiguity so that the viewer can apply his or her own story to the work.
“While developing my fascination for the ’contrasts of life’ – the ups and downs, the beautiful and the ugly, the good and bad – I started to explore the half animal, half human form as a more effective means of expressing my feelings and ideas.
“In particular, I have been working for many years with the figure of the Minotaur – the half bull, half man creature of Greek legend. The Minotaur has become a strong motif for me. The Minotaur not only connects me with my passion for history, mythology and ancient Greek art, but also my obsession with the contaminated human form and the complexity and contrasts of life.
“These same principles and ideas have been expressed through my half human, half dog series of sculptures. These works were inspired by issues I have observed and experienced in today’s society. These include the constant power games at play, the widening gap between rich and poor and the increasing pace of life that leaves little time to spend on relationships. Whilst these are serious matters, I still aim to express them with a sense of humour and quirkiness.
“In 2020 we purchased a small rural property in the Southern Highlands, sitting on the verge of the Penrose State Forest and surrounded by large grazing pastures. I have been deeply affected and influenced by my country surrounds, the effects of recent drought, the fires and floods, and the impact of man on our surroundings. The environment is changing, not always for the better, and I embrace my life in the country as an outsider, respecting the great history of the land. These are themes I am expressing in my current body of work.
“I love working with a wide variety of materials including resin, cement, clay, plasticine, plaster, found objects and bronze. I enjoy the contrast of working with different mediums – from quick-setting plaster to the laborious, methodical process of bronze casting. I am particularly passionate about bronze casting, using ’lost wax’ methods that date back to ancient Greek times. I am proud to continue this rich tradition of sculpting and through it express my views on modern society.”