collection piece: Nikki Orlowski
We are glad to present Orlowski’s Eros as our eleventh addition to the dandy collection.
Eros :: dandy collection #00011
Nikki Orlowski is a proud trans female artist who has quite a talent for color, texture, and representing the male form. Her work tends toward casual poses, occasionally flirting with humor and playfulness, and her appreciation for blending queer culture with fantastical themes shows boldly in the characters she presents- like the drawings in her current series “Steam”, which have a pretty significant “mystical bathhouse” quality about them. We are looking forward to seeing more from her soon.
Your work in five words or less?
Unapologetic, queer, detailed, colorful, delicate.
Where do you live?
I was born and raised in the Midwest. Ohio to be specific.
Where do you make art?
I have a studio where I do my oils, but when I'm drawing with graphite, I usually just use a drawing board and draw in bed.
Turn Ons?
People that see trans people as people. I love adventures and wildlife, but my friends are probably what give me the most joy. And just being able to make art. My favorite feeling is that accomplishment you feel when you finish an elaborate piece.
Turn Offs?
A big pet peeve of mine is when people try to use me as a dating pool, or try to use me to hook up with the models I've worked with. I also don't like when people feel entitled to make negative comments about my models' bodies. You can say what you want about my technique or whatever but leave peoples' bodies out of it.
Favorite subject?
My favorite things to draw are human figures, especially the male figure. I think I got a bit tired of drawing the female form because I drew it almost exclusively in high-school and college, so I think I got bored with it. I love drawing a lot of fantasy artwork and wildlife as well. If I'm not drawing a person, I'm probably drawing a big cat. I love drawing little details whether that be a model's body hair, or the detailed fabric of a costume.
Ideal place to display your work?
I love seeing my work displayed by anyone who really loves it. I've actually had a painting pop up in a porno, which I find awesome- but I think it would be great to have one of my works owned by a museum one day. A girl can dream, right?
Favorite non-art pastime?
Anything outdoors. I love visiting different zoos and aquariums, and I love exploring new places with friends.
Most memorable project?
I think my favorite so far would be my Raven's Lament piece. I loved the whole process. I think my Steam pieces or my Portrait of a Roman Soldier are memorable too- basically anytime I get to paint one of my friends.
Art Crush?
I have a few, actually. Paul Cadmus, Ryan Pancoast, Donato Giancola, Todd Yeager, Alexandra Manukyan, Howard Lyon...
Personal Crayon Color?
Harlot Pink. God, I love a bright color. The more obnoxious the better.
What is unique about your process?
I think it's that I mostly use people I care about as subjects. I think my strengths would be anatomy and attention to detail, and I also find that I put a lot of my emotions I'm processing into my work.
Why make art?
Honestly, it's one of the best ways to vent my emotions, or say what I want to say without words. I also create with hope that my work inspires someone, or reaches people- and that they connect to it and feel something from it.
What's next?
I just finished a pretty large mural for a local LGBTQIA+ center, that I worked on for a good portion of the year. Currently I'm working on more Steam drawings, and creating a graphic novel with a friend.
more work in the dandy gallery:
society6 :: nickohmy
twitter :: nikkiohmy09
instagram :: nikkiohmy09
facebook :: nikkohmy
