
Pictured Above: Artist Narissa Nieves. Photo Credit: Contributed.
In Conversation with Artist Narissa Nieves
Story by Artist Contributor, Gary Giordano
Bucks County Painter Gary Giordano, a local artist shares his conversation with fellow artist, Narissa Nieves
You painted two portraits simultaneously. One in color with you in drag makeup and the other with no makeup. In the second one you said, “the mask is off”. Can you tell me about this?
I’ve been wanting to do a self-portrait in drag make up because I feel like when I first started really getting into my style it started with drag make up, and like the extra dramatic colors and everything. So, in the process of getting in the make up and everything, I feel my inner personality is coming out because it’s just doing what I want lost of color lost of personality, its like my inner spirit is coming out, the spirit of my creativity. The way I feel throughout my life. I just love to express myself. I tend to be quiet and reserved but using all that on my exterior it was something about being colorful and loud. I love that. Yeah so, its kind of a comparison between the fiery personality and the clean cut business side. So, I basically got into drag and took pictures like a photo shoot and then when I cleaned off the makeup, I decided to do a portrait of that as well, so I did a kind of similar poses. When I was making them together it was very new, I never worked on two paintings at the same time. I did a quick sketch because you’re literally painting two paintings simultaneously, which is interesting in itself. When you’re painting them it’s like two different personalities like two different sides, you switch and then you quickly switch again. I felt you could still see similarities between the two. Where it’s like at the end of the day they are still the same person.

Pictured Above: “In a Fur” by Narissa Nieves. Photo Credit: Contributed.
We started talking about Klimt when we first met, tell me about your interest in him?
Yes, I especially like patterns and the colors and how everything just goes and the gold. I love the gold, but to be truthful I’m not someone who follows any particular artist. I’m kind of like all over the place.
With Klimt I feel like he captures the beauty of the person or like you can almost know the person, don’t you think?
Theres a lot of emotions. I try to add that to my pieces as well. I kind of want people you know to be attached to my pieces. I also like the shock factor; I enjoy that a lot, you know when you see a feature and your like whoa! I enjoy that. Emotion for me is part of art.

Pictured Above: A double portrait by Narissa Nieves. Photo Credit: Contributed.
In looking at your music selection, you have everything from the Velvet Underground , Hall and Oats and Brittney Spears, What’s Up?
I love music. I collect records and CD’s. I’m a big music person. Britney Spears was during the time I was reading her memoir. Right now, I’m really into Punk. I love Local H. I think they may be from the nineties, kind of Nirvanaesque but yeah, I listen to the sixties, seventies, and all rhythm and blues. I love matching music to art.
How’s your new studio?
I’ve been doing some work there, I have a new camera to take pictures, it’s nice. Storage and space had been a concern because I want to work big. I don’t know if you saw the big sculpture.
Yes, I did see it. What is it? Is it a figure?
At first it was the shape of a realistic heart, but then I started building, it kind of took on its own shape. I started working with wood and relating it to architecture, so obviously I connected it to my own life, so I thought about the architecture that impacted my life.

Pictured Above: “The Heart” by Narissa Nieves. Photo Credit: Contributed.
Some artists make art about social issues and stuff and some artists make it very personal. Where do you think you fall?
I feel right now I’ve been making a lot of art directly, like a lot of self-portraits. I’ve been really into just my life. Especially because I feel like right now there is a lot happening emotionally, so I feel like yeah, a lot of my work for the past few years has been about this. For a while I was more focused on the visual, or shock factor where you are attracted to a color or something. Early on I was trying to establish a style but right now I feel like I’m at a point where I want to do like everything, anything I’m connected to, anything I want instead of feeling like I must stick to one place or one medium. I can go to different places, and I’m not stuck in one area.
What are you working on right now?
I just finished an oil pastel piece another self-portrait. Now I want to work back into oil painting. I’m thinking about doing a piece about isolation. Kind of like that that personal moment where you would feel isolated and alone. I want it to be where the viewer is looking in and intruding into the personal space. For example, like crying in your room, where someone is alone on their bed crying and can look over their shoulder, and they are staring at the viewer who would be you. And it’s kind of like you’re stepping into and intruding on this isolated kind of thing.

Pictured Above: Original art by Narissa Nieves. Photo Credit: Contributed.
One last Question. What are you reading?
Oh my god, Little Fires Every Where, it like a story by Celest Ng , and Art Magazines. I was also trying to get into Philosophy a bit. Like I read a couple books by Bell Hooks.
Artist Statement
I have the simple acronym, YOLO and in this one life I wish to live a million. I want to experience everything, learn everything, meet everyone, and become each one of them. I want to be completely absorbed into the world around me and I can only achieve that through art. Art has allowed me to live a million lives in a million places. Creating has allowed me to understand my life, others’ life, and how our lives intertwine-sometimes in pretty bows and other times into tight knots. As I continue to mature as an artist, I haven’t lost one once of curiosity for life and art, instead, it steadily grows I learn more and more every day. From when I started with pencil and paper, I now have ventured out into paintbrush and canvas, poetry, sculpture, charcoal, fashion, embroidery, nail art, make up, and more. Over time I’ve become an embodiment of my artistic sprit and take great joy in expressing myself. I hope to continue my path as an artist and that on this path I can reach a million lives through this one life.
Bio
My artistic journey starts off young with simple drawings of my toys and favorite characters on TV. I was greatly encouraged by those around me and the joy that my nostalgic drawings sparked in others. Entering middle school, I joined and activist club where I found that my art can hold great power and depict more than still characters. It can send a timeless message that impacts others and changes the way they see the world. I also began to explore other forms of art like knitting and fashion. I spent half my high school career at the Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School, my second home, where I enrolled in the commercial art program. During my time in the program. I began to take art more serios and began working on larger and painstakingly long projects. I grew into my own skin and allowed myself to see my true potential. I even became vice president and later president of The National Technical Arts of Northampton Community College. I have fully committed to the art world by exploring the art community, working at The Allentown Art Museum, entering my pieces in exhibits, and continuing to explore different mediums and methods.

Pictured Above: “Stressed” by artist Narissa Nieves. Photo Credit: Contributed.
To see more of Narissa’s work visit her on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/the_neenee_netwrk/