History
Christian Nicolson is a multidisciplinary artist based New Zealand. He studied design and worked in design and advertising in both Auckland and London. Then decided to step away from the corporate world, to explore his artistic practice, leading to his first solo exhibition in 2002. Around this time, he also created the Toi Toi Experiment, an enormous unauthorised installation in Auckland Harbour that attracted a huge amount of public attention and news coverage – this helped launch his career in the arts. Shortly after he shifted back to design and took on the role of art director for the fashion and arts magazine Pulp, earning recognition as Magazine Designer of the Year. However, after 2 years he again moved back to his own art-making.
Nicolson began working full-time as an artist and expanded into sculpture, debuting in major outdoor exhibitions such as Sculpture on the Shore and Sculpture on the Gulf. He approached large-scale projects with ambition and a sense of play, creating grandiose pieces like life-size fighter planes, armies of naked people and a 25-foot-tall giant naked man. Alongside his sculptural work, he continued exhibiting paintings annually, gaining the attention of publisher Dennis Robertson and featured in several art books.
His work had become a recurring finalist in the Wallace Art Awards – (seven times), using several types of media, including installation, painting, and photography. The awards have offered a platform to experiment with challenging themes, such as body image and social stigma. He was also a finalist in the Fulbright Awards.
Outside of visual arts, Nicolson is involved in music and film. He began making videos for his band Goon, which sparked an interest in filmmaking. In 2016, he completed the self-funded feature film This Giant Papier Mâché Boulder is Actually Really Heavy. A sci-fi comedy that has received almost cult status in some parts of the world. The film screened at over 20 international film festivals and won several awards, including Best Sci-Fi and Best Comedy.
Throughout his creative journey, Nicolson has continued to exhibit regularly, exploring new media such as screen printing and photography. Recent years have seen him participating in national shows like Art in the Park, the NZ Art Show, and the Christchurch Art Show, allowing him to connect directly with audiences. His work is now represented in galleries across New Zealand and, more recently, in the United States through the American Art Gallery.
