About
Nikole Huesman was born in 1969 and joined the Arts of Life in 2011. Heusman’s art practice is defined by her distinct artistic style and adeptness across mediums. Her portraiture is marked by subtle line work and shading on figures that are offset by backgrounds that pulsate with energetic color patterns.
“I like doing people because I find them very interesting. I always wondered how they would look on canvas and how would they look in my eyes from a standpoint.”
Heusman draws inspiration from a variety of sources: classic paintings, contemporary works of art and pop culture. Regardless of origin, the resulting works maintain subjects rendered with a whimsical hand. Each piece is crafted through a methodical process, involving careful composition, sketching and transferring.
“As an artist with a vision impairment it’s like an ambassador for all of the individuals with vision impairments. They can do anything in the world if they set their mind on it. Whatever I set my mind on, I can take it from there.”
Heusman’s artwork has been featured on Arts of Life merchandise including: greeting cards, poetry books and a calendar. She is also a singer for the studio band, Van Go Go and was the North Shore studio’s artist of the month in November 2018.
Selected Exhibits
Community in Color
Circle Contemporary, Chicago, IL - 2018
A is for Artist
The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, Chicago, IL - 2017
Permanent Collection
The Waisman Foundation, Madison, WI - 2017
