To say that Françoise Nielly is a visual soul would be akin to calling the ocean wet. The daughter of a demanding architect, Nielly admits that her father’s critical eye made sure there was “no room for flaws or errors,” and while this may be fodder for a therapist’s chair, Nielly has instead translated this eye for precision into her extraordinary paintings.
Armed with a palette coated in every conceivable oil paint color and a palette knife, Nielly constructs faces that are equal parts evocative and provocative. She thrives on the energy of urban life and makes her home in Paris, her own work inspired and informed not necessarily by her famous French predecessors, Monet and Renoir, but by portraitists and contemporary artists. Nielly left a high-pressure career in advertising over a decade ago to focus solely on her art. We’re so glad she did (as are 24,000 other folks).
