About
Niki McQueen is a self-taught artist, graphic designer and visual storyteller, with a background in Marine Biology.
As we went into lockdown in March 2020 and the COVID pandemic swept the globe, she rediscovered and developed an old technique of making art using solvent printing and mixed media that she learned at school.
Under the psychological and emotional pressure of a world gone mad, she found a way of staying sane through making art. It has been and continues to be a prolific expression of years of unspoken truths.
She has always been drawn to the places and spaces beyond the mundane, and she draws inspiration from surrealism and magical realism. Themes in her work encompass psychology, fairytales, whimsy, humour and the macabre. She uses stock and hand-drawn images to create compositions which express her fascination with science, anatomy, biology and the human mind. Every work tells a story, be it personal or magical – the viewer is invited to explore meaning in their own interpretation of the work.
Since 2020, Niki has been under the part-time tutelage of Ilhaam Stoloff, who is a respected artist, educator and portfolio development specialist
She sold nearly 100 artworks during the lockdown period, through social media promotion, including a number of portraits and commissions. She participated in her first exhibition in December 2020, followed by the Coming Home exhibition at the Imibala Gallery in May 2021. She currently has 2 more works from the Where the Wind Blows series hanging in this gallery.
She is proud to have been represented by the Art@Africa galleries in 2021 and has works hanging in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Graaf Reinet, Somerset West and Hermanus.
In August 2021, she placed in the top 40 finalists in the Vuleka Art Competition, where her work was displayed in the competition exhibit at the Art.b Gallery in Bellville, Cape Town. She also placed in the Top 100 in the Sasol New Signatures Art Competition in September 2021, with her work on display at the Pretoria Art Museum. In November 2021, she won the Africa Regional Award in the international Copic Awards 2021. Her first book, A Land Beyond Reason was published in June 2022.
BUY OR REQUEST OPEN PRINTS
Seen a work you love and want to order a print?
Niki has a large portfolio and not all her works have been made available as prints. We make work available on Etsy by request with a 48hr turnaround time.
Fill in the form below with the name of the work in the comment section and you will be personally contacted when your print is available for purchase.
Visit Niki's Esty store for available prints.