about the artist.
My work is rooted in my equal, but seemingly opposing desires for both order and expressiveness - and finding where they overlap.
I'm interested in using paper - an object that can be seen as clutter - and transforming it into something orderly and vast. Growing up, fostering creativity and deep personal relationships were such important parts of my life. Yet, at the same time, clutter and densely filled spaces would sometimes hinder these things - and I faced the belief that this was just inevitable. Now, I see the vastness of minimalism as holding so much more space for creativity and connection - allowing greater room to perceive, reflect, and engage.
This is what I explore with my sculptural paper paintings.
My practice is both process-driven and intuitive, incorporating precise and intentional cuts and folds, but also embraces impulsivity with freehand manipulations. Through a focus on color, texture, form, and interaction with light, I emphasize feelings of movement, rhythm, and calm. Each piece invites the viewer to pause, notice, and let their thoughts wander as the details and forms evoke associations with nature, personal memories, and emotional experiences.
statement.
bio.
Kelli Nyman is an abstract paper artist living in Cambridge, MA with a studio in Somerville, MA. Nyman considers herself self-taught, with her degree in Design & Merchandising from Drexel University and her 12-year career in marketing giving her a grounding in art, design, and business.
Since making her first sculptural paintings in 2016, Nyman’s work has been commissioned by several 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.
galleries.
UVA Overlook Gallery - Brighton, MA
INHABIT - Warren, RI
Fuller Craft Museum Shop - Brockton, MA
press.
New England Home Magazine, “Painting with Paper”
All Things Paper, "Elegant 3D Origami Art - Kaleidowall"
Craft Industry Alliance, "Artful Angles Make a Good Business: Profile of Kelli Nyman"