Our Spotlight on the Arts is shining brightly on Nico Gozal!
We selected Nico as we were completely entranced with his artwork featured at the current Annual Invitational Show at the North End Gallery. His use of stunning colors depicted in “Tropical Love” – an ocean of blue and shimmering shades of teals capturing two seahorses with intertwined tails caught our eyes and beckoned us to learn more.
Nico’s cross-cultural art training rooted from his country of origin which is Indonesia. Just over 30 years ago, Nico moved to the United States to follow his dreams to pursue a degree in design. Toward the end of his undergraduate studies, Mr. Gozal had an amazing opportunity to work for and be mentored by a successful artist in Tampa, FL. Jane Murray Lewis introduced him to the world of gutta/ Serti Silk painting which opened the doors widely to a most colorful career now spanning over three decades.
You may be wondering exactly what is gutta/ Serti silk painting?
The Serti technique (also referred to as “closing” or “fence” style) of silk painting is based on designs created on a lush, white silk fabric which has been pre-washed, dried, and stretched. Outlines of the intended design are hand-drawn with gutta or water based resists from small bottles with nozzle tips. Gutta is latex-like in consistency and derived from the gutta percha tree from Indonesia.
All photos provided by the artist.
Once the drawn outline has set it serves as a barrier for the next step in the painting process, allowing for sharply defined borders while keeping the color within the outlined area. Dyes or paints are meticulously applied within the lines and then permanently set through a steam/ heat/ or chemical fixative process. Next the clear gutta or resist is carefully removed, revealing the color of the original fabric. Colored guttas and resists are also sometimes used and left to stay on the fabric rather than being removed.
Most of Nico’s artwork results in 2-dimensional pieces with some paintings including hand dyed and hand cut silk to create 3-dimensional surfaces. His artwork and unique style has been recognized both regionally and nationally including a solo show at the Hill Center in DC in 2019 and “Asia North 2020” at the Asian Arts & Cultural Center of Towson University, MD in 2020. His piece “Batik Parang Filigree” won first prize in a national juried show “by Design” at the Capitol Hill Artists League, Washington DC, in 2019.
To see more of Nico’s fascinating artwork and learn further about our featured artist just visit any of the links below. Nico also creates wearable art such as vibrant and soft neck ties and silk scarves and also accepts custom order requests.
Facebook: @NicoGSilkArt (Niko G Silk-Art)
Instagram: @nicogsilkart
https://society6.com/nicogsilkart
www.northendgallery.com (North End Gallery Annual Invitational Show, guest artist for an exhibit now thru March 28th)
Link to Invitational Show video art show: https://www.visitleonardtownmd.com/northendgallery
Thank you Nico for being a valued part of our community, we love the richness and history of your artform and look forward to seeing your future projects!