about the artist.

Kelli Nyman has a deep interest in how our physical environment affects both how we feel about ourselves and how we connect with others.  Nyman discovered that she could create internal calm and balance for herself by bringing order and openness to her surroundings.  She learned this skill through her experience growing up in a house filled with lots of clutter, which at times, became a source of anxiety, shame, and isolation. 

Using paper, a material often associated with clutter, Nyman creates minimalist, sculptural paintings that transform the medium into structured, yet delicate forms intentionally arranged in abstract compositions softened by muted, monchromatic palettes.  Combining meditative processes like repetitive pleating and folding with intuitive and gestural freehand cutting and shaping, Nyman’s work balances familiar patterns with unexpected moments. 

Nyman believes that by creating space around the things we care about, we give them even greater importance, and also, this simple, yet transformative act frees up our energy for the experiences, interactions, and relationships that matter to us most. 

statement.

bio.

Kelli Nyman is an abstract paper artist living in Cambridge, MA with a studio in Somerville, MA.  While Nyman considers herself self-taught, her degree in Design & Merchandising from Drexel University and her 12-year career in marketing gave her a grounding in art, design, and business. 

Since making her first sculptural paintings in 2016, Nyman’s work has been commissioned by private and corporate clients across the US and Canada, including the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC and McKinsey & Company in Boston, MA.  Her work is also held in the permanent collection of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Nyman has exhibited her work throughout New England and has a forthcoming solo exhibition at the Southern Vermont Arts Center in June 2025.

galleries.

INHABIT - Warren, RI

Fuller Craft Museum Shop - Brockton, MA

press.