BRILLIANT DARKNESS

MFA Thesis Exhibition

by Nill Smith 

Exhibition: April 1 - 5, 2025

Reception: Friday, April 4th, 6-8p

I connect with water as a divine being. Vast bodies of water evoke a sublime experience akin to a connection to a god or goddess. Using this as a catalyst, I engage in different mediums to speak to different narratives around water.  I construct work based on ideas of healing through purification. I take 'snap shots' of water through the use of cyanotypes and in turn, honor these moments as sacred objects. I paint with a vibrant, jewel toned, saturated palette that still holds restraint. I think about the gesture of the body as an act of storytelling. Through poses, I create narratives that dive into moments of suffering. These figures, hunched over in sorrow and grief, are in a state of limbo. They cover their faces in shame. Their eyes never meet your gaze. Intimate moments are put on display for the consumption of the viewer. I engage in mythologies both crafted and historically grounded. Histories such as the Middle Passage, the 'Black Atlantic', and The Door of No Return, amongst others, are interlaced into this series of work in addition to personal ambiguous narratives. Through these mythologies and histories, I search for healing, reinvention, and liberation.  

More About Nill

Nill is an interdisciplinary artist, predominantly working in painting, ceramics, and printmaking, currently working out of North Carolina. Her work centers water as a conduit for purification and reinvention, while holding histories of violence. Nill’s work has been shown at The North Carolina Museum of Art, Weatherspoon Art Museum, The McColl Center, Prizm Art Fair, Main Street Arts, Shain Gallery, and VAE Raleigh, amongst others. She was the recipient of an Arts and Science Council grant, and judge for the National Scholastics Competition.  

Learn more: @theartistnill | Website: Theartistnill.com