hello@nateharris.co
Statement
Nate’s earliest memories of working with wood transport him back to building skate ramps in his father’s garage—cutting stolen 2x4s with a miter saw in his bare feet on hot summer days. After a brief stint in advertising, he found his way back to woodworking by adapting his visual sensibilities to the woodcut printmaking method. Developing his own non-traditional approach to creating blocks, he utilizes scroll saws, table saws, and drill presses to yield remarkably simplified and iconic imagery. While Nate’s work in printmaking may suggest a rudimentary graphic language, the complexity of his constructions reflects his ongoing exploration of material relationships.
He is deeply interested in the materiality of wood as a driving force in his work. Capitalizing on its tactile qualities, woodblocks are systematically cut, destroyed, and reconfigured to create abstract reinterpretations of previous works—a reincarnation of sorts. Off-cuts are kept, and back sides often become foundational substrates. In his reliefs, forms emerge from the unconventional use of wood, such as bending thin strips of wood to create strokes that meander between shapes. Borrowing techniques from other disciplines, his unapologetic use of color is applied akin to a craftsman applying tung oil to a piece of furniture. His work builds upon a combination of surrealism, constructivism, and folk art, contrasted with a fearless disregard for traditional methods.
Bio
Nate Harris, (b. 1991 in Laurel Springs, New Jersey, USA), is a multidisciplinary artist currently based in New York City. Nate’s work has been shown at venues such as The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Space 1026 (Philadelphia, USA), and KOP Gallery (Antwerp, Belgium). His permanent installations can be seen at the Philadelphia International Airport, Canopy Hotel (Philadelphia, USA) and Bibliotheek Permeke (Antwerp, Belgium), among others. He has participated in art residencies including The Jaunt Residency (2022) and AGA Labs (Printmaking, 2019) in Amsterdam. Nate's commissioned work for clients like Penguin Books (UK), Warby Parker, Target, and Adobe demonstrate his ability to scale his work to meet client needs. In 2023, Nate launched ‘NORA’, a project through which he extends his practice to offer custom wooden name puzzles that blur the lines between sculptural and functional art.
Statement
Nate’s earliest memories of working with wood transport him back to building skate ramps in his father’s garage—cutting stolen 2x4s with a miter saw in his bare feet on hot summer days. After a brief stint in advertising, he found his way back to woodworking by adapting his visual sensibilities to the woodcut printmaking method. Developing his own non-traditional approach to creating blocks, he utilizes scroll saws, table saws, and drill presses to yield remarkably simplified and iconic imagery. While Nate’s work in printmaking may suggest a rudimentary graphic language, the complexity of his constructions reflects his ongoing exploration of material relationships.
He is deeply interested in the materiality of wood as a driving force in his work. Capitalizing on its tactile qualities, woodblocks are systematically cut, destroyed, and reconfigured to create abstract reinterpretations of previous works—a reincarnation of sorts. Off-cuts are kept, and back sides often become foundational substrates. In his reliefs, forms emerge from the unconventional use of wood, such as bending thin strips of wood to create strokes that meander between shapes. Borrowing techniques from other disciplines, his unapologetic use of color is applied akin to a craftsman applying tung oil to a piece of furniture. His work builds upon a combination of surrealism, constructivism, and folk art, contrasted with a fearless disregard for traditional methods.
Bio
Nate Harris, (b. 1991 in Laurel Springs, New Jersey, USA), is a multidisciplinary artist currently based in New York City. Nate’s work has been shown at venues such as The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Space 1026 (Philadelphia, USA), and KOP Gallery (Antwerp, Belgium). His permanent installations can be seen at the Philadelphia International Airport, Canopy Hotel (Philadelphia, USA) and Bibliotheek Permeke (Antwerp, Belgium), among others. He has participated in art residencies including The Jaunt Residency (2022) and AGA Labs (Printmaking, 2019) in Amsterdam. Nate's commissioned work for clients like Penguin Books (UK), Warby Parker, Target, and Adobe demonstrate his ability to scale his work to meet client needs. In 2023, Nate launched ‘NORA’, a project through which he extends his practice to offer custom wooden name puzzles that blur the lines between sculptural and functional art.