Nicole Phungrasamee Fein
Before I ever met Nicole, I saw her art. The meticulously drawn dots, lines, shapes and shadows that make up her exquisite work brought to mind an image of monks, voluntarily locked in a monastery atop a mountain where time is precise, but plenty. Maybe I expected a person cloaked in black, maybe slightly hunched over from the seemingly endless hours one inch of her art takes to produce. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Nicole is like a sun lamp, slowly intensifying with every smile she beams your way, throwing off some major vitamin D. I can go meditate for an hour, or I can go have a conversation with Nicole.
Like her art, she is at first quiet and soft, but as you look deeper you realize there are so many layers, complexities, you can spend a whole afternoon having a conversation with her, or looking at one piece of her work, and not feel the time go by.
Nicole is a breath of fresh air, much like her light-filled studio in San Francisco, where she will gracefully offer you a cup of tea, and a smile.
Nicole’s most current work “Joy Fields” is on view at Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York City from May 13 to July 3.
Make it stand out
Q + A:
Where do you go for inspiration?
N: My son, Felix (age 16), is an avid gardener, and he transformed our backyard into paradise. The garden is outside my art studio. It's my favorite place to go for inspiration; there are surprises everyday throughout the year.
Who would you want to take out to dinner?
N: Our neighbors used to come over for dinner every Sunday. The pandemic put our tradition on hold, and I really look forward to sharing a weekly meal with them again.
What are you currently learning?
N: I am learning to let go.
Where will you be traveling to next?
N: My family and I will be travelling to New York for my first solo show at Nancy Hoffman Gallery.
What would you say to your teenage self?
N: It’s okay to trust people.
What is your biggest challenge?
N: Getting a good night’s sleep.
What are you currently reading?
N: I just started reading Trustee in the Toolroom by Nevil Shute. It is a favorite of a friend, and she mailed me a copy this week.
Latest insight?
N: We are all fragile.
Any recommendations?
N: Big blueberries, small strawberries.
