Born and
raised in Bogota, Columbia, graffiti cubist artist Nico
Amortegui paints with unapologetic color and boldness. Amortegui’s expressive
style incorporates many hidden layers of color and texture that make the
largest statement when viewed in person.
Amortegui's artwork is grounded in his personal
experience of immigrating to the United States in the 1990s at the age of 17
and his family's artisanal background. His work reflects the influence of being in between two cultures, which has shaped the themes of his art. His current
artistic foci include large-scale paintings on canvas or wood panels, sculpting, and woodworking with found objects. He enjoys spending time in the ceramics
studio and his elaborate garden
“Being forever between two cultures has shaped my
views and molded the themes of my pieces. I consider myself 100% Latino -
equally Colombian and American.”
He begins each of his figurative artworks as an
abstract expression of colors. Once his background is complete, a figure
appears to him in the abstraction. He then begins transforming his artwork’s
image with the “left eye” of his painted figure. This eye leads the rest
of his composition as he adds and conceals with many additional layers.
Amortegui’s work is a direct product of the artist’s
expressed energy — there are no sketches or previous drawings. The work is
created solely from in-the-moment energy and the transference of what is seen
and felt onto the canvas. The urgency and pace employed to materialize what the
artist sees is done in real-time.
Amortegui has had numerous collections and
exhibitions throughout the United States, showcasing his unique blend of
graffiti and cubism styles. His unapologetic use of color and texture has
earned him recognition as an expressive and bold artist.
EXHIBITIONS
2023 Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA
2021-22 Artplex Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2020 Dreamers and
Doers”, Sozo Gallery; Charlotte NC
“Small Works”, Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art,
Charlotte NC, Oct 2019 - Feb
2019 “We See
Heaven Upside Down”, Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art, Charlotte NC
2018 “Unbound and Unleashed”, Red Dog
Gallery, Winston-Salem NC
2017
“Sensoria /
We See Heaven Upside Down”, CPCC Ross Gallery, Charlotte NC
2016 “American Vices”, Nonfiction
Gallery; Savannah GA
2015 “Castelatto”, Art Basel;
Miami FL
2018 “Shadow
Odyssey”, Mahlstedt Gallery; New Rochelle NY
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2021 “Profiles of Vivid Reflections”, Red Dog Gallery; Winston-Salem NC
2019 “Colorful Memories”, Waterworks Visual Arts Center, Salisbury, NC
2017 “Big, Small, & Sometimes Medium”, The ArtsCenter, Carrboro, NC
2016 “Color Me Bad”, Urban Grinders, Greensboro, NC
2014 “American Deam”, UNCC Student Union Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2013 “Juventud y Angustia”, Ferst Center for the Arts, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA
2012 “MALO as MALO”, The Carrack Show, Durham NC
“The Beauty of Beasts”, Cosmos Gallery Café, Charlotte, NC
HONORS
2020 Regional Project Artist Grant
Recipient, Arts & Science
Council; Charlotte, NC
2020 Selected Artist for ASC
Community Supported Artist
Program; Charlotte, Spring
2019 Featured
Artist Award, Con A de Arte, ArtSí; Charlotte, June
2019 Creative Renewal Fellowship
Recipient, Arts & Science
Council;
Charlotte, April
2016 Smithsonian
Private Collection
2013 Future Artist Award, Con A de
Arte, ArtSí; Charlotte, June
