Clara Nivelle

My work often begins with memory. I paint less to record a moment than to hold on to the feeling it left behind, so the work stays close and personal, and often a little unresolved.

I can't talk about my work without talking about the human body, a recurring motif and something I'm deeply enchanted by. Painting someone means looking at them slowly and without judgment, and doing that again and again has changed the way I look at myself.

I'm a self-taught artist. I move mostly between oil, charcoal and acrylic. Growing up I did plenty of extracurriculars, but drawing was the only one I chose for myself. It is, and always has been, my way of expressing myself. For a long time the work was only ever for me, and sharing it still feels strange, like letting people read something private and decide for themselves what it means.

The same instinct drives the other half of what I do. I design and build apps and websites, including Tabi, a trip planner I made for a journey through Japan. Whether it's a painting or a product, I'm interested in the same thing: making something that feels considered, personal, and alive.