Nicholas Valdés

Catalog

Abstract painting with bold yellow, orange, red, and brown shapes overlapping and interacting. The composition includes sweeping brushstrokes and sharp edges, creating a dynamic sense of movement and depth.
Abstract painting with dominant red and orange hues blending with patches of purple, yellow, and white. The texture is smooth, with bold, irregular shapes layered across the canvas, creating a vibrant, dynamic composition.
Abstract artwork featuring a collage of irregular shapes in blue, pink, black, and white. The background is predominantly blue, with curved and angular shapes overlapping, creating a dynamic and visually engaging composition.
Abstract painting featuring bold yellow swirls with scattered geometric shapes in shades of purple, blue, white, brown, and gray. The composition is lively with a sense of movement and contrast.
Abstract painting with bold strokes of red, gray, black, and green on a light background. Shapes overlap, creating a dynamic composition with both angular and curved elements. The interplay of colors gives a sense of movement and contrast.

Nicholas Valdés

Born: 1986, Arlington, TX

Biography and Information

Biography
Nicholas Valdés (b. 1986) brings a distinctive mixed-media approach to abstract paintings by layering acrylic backgrounds with found objects such as magazines, pieces of paper, photographs, and old paintings. He responds intuitively to the colors, creases, and textures he encounters and organizes his canvases based on emotions, spirituality, color, and dissonance.

Nicholas Valdés has had solo shows in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Albuquerque. He holds an MFA from the University of New Mexico where he received a Pictorial Fellowship from the Center for Southwest Research. Valdés lives and works in Albuquerque, NM.

Process excites me most. You go in with an idea and sometimes it takes root and sometimes you just need to be present. You have to be open to the spirit of painting, to be responsive to what you’ve done and what you see. — Nicholas Valdés

Education
2024 MFA, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
2008 B.S. in History, Truman State University,  Kirksville, MO

Solo Exhibitions
2024
Small Talk, 516 Hagan, Nashville, TN
LOOSE TOOTH, ALPACA, Albuquerque, NM

2023
can we see them in a field of color and know love?, Ghostroom Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

Group Exhibitions
2025
Trio, Richard Levy Gallery, Albuquerque, NM

2024
Land, Body, Archive, Northlight Gallery, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Pt. III – Masley Drift, Masley Gallery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Layer Play, Tamarind Institute Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
When Photography Meets Collage, New Orleans Photo Alliance Gallery, New Orleans, LA

2023
Ephemerality, Strata Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
ECHO: A Collaborative Printmaking Exhibition, Tamarind Institute Gallery, Albuquerque, NM
Connective Tissue: 2023 Graduate Juried Show, Sanitary Tortilla Factory, Albuquerque, NM
Land, Body, Archive (pt.I), John Sommers Gallery, University of New Mexico,  Albuquerque, NM
Land, Body, Archive (pt.II), Rombach Gallery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

2022
Physical Education, Sanitary Tortilla Factory, Albuquerque, NM
Part 2, John Sommers Gallery, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

Awards
2024 Hullsman Outstanding Student Employee, University of New Mexico
2022-2023 Pictorial Fellowship, Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico
2022-2023 Phyllis Muth Scholarship for Fine Arts, University of New Mexico

Press Release
2025 Trio at Richard Levy Gallery