Nick Mahshie
Miami-based artist Nick Mahshie received a Masters of Design degree in Fashion, Body & Garment in 2017 from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design. Shifting freely between Art & Design practices, his work makes clear reference to the visual language of saturated Miami culture while challenging its seductive palette and lifestyle. His background in Painting, Fashion, and Print Design coalesces in the immersive installations, wearable sculpture, and clothing designs he creates.
Selected Exhibitions include “No Vacancy Miami Beach” (2021) The International Inn, Miami Beach, Florida; “Exile Books + Printed Matter” (2021) NADA Art Fair, Miami, Florida; “Diverse Networks” (2020) Oolite Arts, Miami Beach, Florida. Mahshie has been invited as an artist-in-residence at AGA Lab, Amsterdam, Netherlands (2019), Residencia Corazón, La Plata, Argentina (2008), and as the Printmaking Artist-in-residence at Oolite Arts, Miami Beach, Florida (2018-22). Mahshie is also an arts educator with experience as a lecturer at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Florida International University, and currently a professor of Printmaking and Drawing at the New World School of the Arts.
Mahshie maintains his studio practice in affiliation with Laundromat Art Space, Little Haiti, Miami, where he also manages his independent clothing label, Tranqui Prints.
Collect Bean: What does growth mean to you?
Nick Mahshie: I know I am growing when I don’t recognize what I’m making. Things that worked for me in the past have to be reimagined, challenged, and reconfigured. It doesn’t matter if it gets less public recognition than the previous thing you did or the thing that everyone “liked.” Whether or not it's objectively good is outweighed by how uncomfortable it was for you to make it. Personal artistic growth means taking chances, experimenting, and learning something new about yourself with each successive gesture.
Collect Bean: Where are you currently finding inspiration?
Nick Mahshie: Domestic life. I’m learning to appreciate the subtle beauty of the ordinary. I’m wondering if I can freeze time in my work. I flip the light switch, and shadows dance across the wall at 6 a.m., my 2-year-old son was born last week, and I make a pot of coffee. Is there something universal about the quotidian? The seconds add up, and 5 years have gone by. What is so beautiful about everyday life is nothing and everything. It’s relentless and unforgiving, and at the same time, it’s full of revelations and deep satisfaction. Separating the tangle of emotions is what’s motivating my latest work. I’m just trying to slow down long enough so that I can appreciate it.
Collect Bean: Are there any recurring themes or motifs in your art, and if so, what do they represent to you?
Nick Mahshie: Decoration and pattern are recurring elements in my work. For me, repeated patterns and their use on fabric are an homage to my mother. My mom used to cloak herself in color and print after the premature death of my father. Pattern was her escape from trauma, and it allowed her to cope with life. More importantly, it signaled to her young children that joy and celebration were still possible. What we wear can change our attitude and our outlook. It’s a signal to the world and can also be reassurance for ourselves. Small, consistent, and full of life, décor is an essential part of how we thrive.
Collect Bean: How does your painting process look like from start to finish?
Nick Mahshie: Whether I am painting, designing, printing, or collaging, the process is usually very similar. It begins with a brainstorm in my sketchbook—the novel experience of having experienced a moment that has to be recorded in visual form. The beginning is full of excitement – my movements are fast, and I’m desperate to get the basic compositional elements out and configured in space and on a surface. The first few hours are a blur, and I am in a flow state. At this point, I slow down and take a step back. Now that the energy has been translated, my training as an artist dictates the reordering, color decisions, and tweaking that is necessary for a successful artwork. The long, slow middle is full of reflection, reconsideration, and correction. I tweak and tweak and tweak. I sleep on it; sometimes, I put it aside for days. The end brings a rush of excitement back to the artwork as I realize I’m closing in on the essence of what I set out to accomplish. I sit and stare for a long time, not knowing exactly what the last stitch or brushstroke is until, finally, it’s complete.
Collect Bean: How does where you grew up influence your work?
Nick Mahshie: “We are of our childhood as we are from a country.” I think this quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry perfectly highlights my early life's impact on my own sense of identity. Growing up in Miami profoundly influenced how I came to understand myself- where I perceive the visual cacophony of the landscape with great sensitivity and empathy. The bizzarro ecosystem of native and invasive wildlife, the textures and smells, and the tactility of the humid air – these are the details that have influenced my work for as long as I can remember. Today, as I watch my small children grow up in South Florida, I continue to find inspiration in the tree-climbing and color-absorbing landscape of my own youth. Trying to maintain and translate that visceral connection to my environment is something I hope will always be a big part of how I make art.
