Nickie's Story
Nickie Lewis is a local Burnaby artist who has an associates of arts degree.
In 2020 she decided to focus her artist talents on creating eco-sculptures near her home during the lockdown. This new art journey resulted in 7 large scale sculptures in Robert Burnaby Park in the fall and winter of 2020. These works were created entirely from cedar sticks and Jute twine with the intention that these works would eventually fall back to the pike of sticks they started with.
The success of those works paved the way for 2 public displays for the city of New Westminster; the “Hopeful Hybrids” a 3 Sculpture project created for the City of in Hume Park as part of the Rest of New West Festival, and the “Reasons for the Seasons” Shine Bright festivities the last 2 seasons.
In March of 2022 she was invited to help curate, and exhibit in an eco-art zone of the Burnaby Blooms festival. She created a 25 foot dragon from the city’s tree clippings and greenwaste.
In the spring of 2022 she was commissioned to create 32 sculptures for 7 city parks by the City of Chilliwack. She has an upcoming solo show at the PoMoArts gallery in June of 2023.
How can my art initiate connection, responsibility, and joy in those who view it? This is the question I pose when creating each piece of work. I have dabbled in many mediums over the last 12 years; textiles, multimedia, installation art, interactive visual art, and finally eco-sculpture. Each phase of my artist journey has aligned with the phase of life I was experiencing at the time. This current phase of life has me reflecting on our world and the problems it faces. As a result, I have challenged myself to create art using primarily natural materials. Using these materials not only creates unique installations, but engages the community in important conversations. My work is accessible to everyone, and aims to lessen the barriers to the artistic world.