About — Nina Kardon Baran

In my paintings, I subvert spatial expectations by using vertical planes to define space, reflections to confound space and color to expand space. I start a painting from life and am always drawn to something geometric due to my background. As an architect, I create a habitable space using construction materials. As a painter I use color as my building elements. As an artist I use material and color together to create a strong memorable image imbued with personal narrative.

I am fascinated by how mirrors obfuscate presuppositions, confuse spatial planes, distances and object relationships. Due to the mirrors reflection I am aware of the possibility of a self-portrait or an obvious omission of one.

My art is personal: it is of my family, my home and my emotional state. I put at least one surprise in all my works, be it intentional or intuitive. It might be a different color or color story, an architectural symbol, or a visual connection that does not make sense in real life yet works in the painting. I want to encourage the viewer to rethink their original encounter with my paintings.

And as my first true art professor said, “Painting is not something we choose to do, it is something we have to do.”

At present I am based outside Philadelphia (moved out of NYC due to the pandemic) but am actively looking at moving back to NYC as soon as possible.

Awards

2022 Mercedes Matter Award, 2022 Alumni Invitational, New York Studio School, selected by the awards committee: Seph Rodney and Yasmeen Siddiqui

2019 Honorable Mention, 2019 Alumni Invitational, New York Studio School, curated by Judith Linhares

Exhibitions

2023 Winter Juried Exhibition Blue Mountain Gallery, juror artist Eric Holzman, NY

Alumni Exhibition, New York Studio School, NY

Anonymous was a Masterpiece, New York Studio School, NY

2022 Alumni Exhibition, New York Studio School, NY

2021 Alumni Exhibition, New York Studio School, NY

National Juried Exhibition, juried by Thomas Erben of Thomas Erben Gallery, First Street Gallery NY

2020 Certificate Completion Exhibition, New York Studio School, NY

2020 Alumni Exhibition, New York Studio School, NY

Group Solitude, Force Gallery online

2019 2019 Alumni Invitational, New York Studio School, NY

Anonymous was a Masterpiece, New York Studio School, NY

Master Sculpture Class with Jilaine Jones, New York Studio School, NY

Three by Three, New York Studio School, NY

2018 Anonymous was a Masterpiece, New York Studio School, NY

Six artists in New York, New York Studio School, NY

2017 Anonymous was a Masterpiece, New York Studio School, NY

Art Education

2020 Certificate from the New York Studio School

2019 Arbor Vitae with Dean Graham Nickson and Fran O’Neil, New York Studio School

Master Sculpture Marathon with Brandt Junceau

2018 Masters workshop with Bill Scott, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

2017 Fall semester, The Slade School of Fine Art, UCL London

2017 Enrolled in certificate program, New York Studio School

2016 Drawing Marathon, New York Studio School

2014-2015 Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

2012-2013 One year of study with Clare Newbolt at the Prince’s Drawing School in London

@ninakardonbaran