Nick Modrzewski

Nick Modrzewski (b. 1988) is a Naarm/Melbourne based artist whose work investigates law and social ritual. Densely layered acrylic paintings form the backbone of Modrzewski’s practice, where he depicts figures intertwined with legal processes or bureaucratic systems: naked neighbours wrestle over a fencing dispute; a congregation of medieval noses gather to draft legislation; and suited men compete in a plant watering competition. In each of his scenes, Modrzewski picks apart the rules of social engagements, rendering them in a sensuous and fluid painterly language. An abiding interest in narrative, theatre and absurdity define the tone of Modrzewski’s works, which also encompass sculpture, text and performance.
Nick Modrzewski holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Victorian College of the Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Melbourne. He has exhibited locally and internationally, including at COMA (Sydney); Watch This Space (Alice Springs); La Trobe Art Institute (Bendigo); Monash University Museum of Art (Melbourne); Contour Sculpture Biennial (Canberra); Discordia (Melbourne); First Draft (Sydney); the Institute of Contemporary Arts (Singapore); Blindside (Melbourne); Fort Delta (Melbourne); KINGS ARI (Melbourne); OH Open House (Singapore); and the Australian High Commission (Singapore). His writing has been published by Running Dog; Art & Australia; Monash University Museum of Art; un Magazine; Writing & Concepts; the Lifted Brow; Fireflies; VRE Books and The Research Handbook on Art and Law. Modrzewski is a board member of West Space.
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Nick Modrzewski in his studio in Melbourne, Australia, 2022. Photo by Simon Strong. Image courtesy of the artist and COMA, Sydney.
Cacodemon (Faithful Pet), 2022
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acrylic on board
183 x 163 cm (framed) / 72 1/16 x 64 3/16 inches (framed)Scheme, 2022
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acrylic on board
163 x 183 cm (framed) / 64 3/16 x 72 1/16inches (framed)Watering Competition, 2022
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acrylic on board
150 x 120 cm / 59 1/16 x 47 1/4 inchesThe Authorities, 2022
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acrylic on board
150 x 120 cm / 59 1/16 x 47 1/4 inchesThe Fencing Dispute, 2022
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acrylic on board
71 x 60 cm / 27 15/16 x 23 5/8 inchesFootnote (Demon poking souls of commandment breakers in a furnace - Bodlein Library MS. Douce 134 f.82v, 2022
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acrylic on board
50 x 40 cm / 19 11/16 x 15 3/4 inchesThe Rules of Soccer, 2022
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acrylic on board
71 x 60 cm / 27 15/16 x 23 5/8 inchesOffice Apparitions, 2021
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acrylic on board
150 x 120 cm / 59 1/16 x 47 1/4 inchesGarden Keeper, 2021
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acrylic and resin on board
35 x 20 cm / 13 11/16 x 7 7/8 inchesWitch Presentation Stand, 2021
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mouldable plastic, resin, polyurethane pigment, e-poxy resin glue
90 x 57 cm / 35 7/16 x 22 7/16 inchesArmoury, 2021
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acrylic on board, powder coated welded steel frame
185 x 151 cm framed / 72 13/16 x 59 7/8 inches framedThe Face of the Pronounced Accuser, 2021
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acrylic on board, powder coated welded steel frame
159 x 146 cm framed / 62 19/32 x 57 15/32 inches framedFaces: A Regulatory Guide, 2021
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aged book, labels, gold foil, sewn spine
25 x 16 x 8 cm / 9 27 x 32 x 6 9/32 x 3 5/32 inchesMasks 1-54, 2021
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Further details see catalogue

Nick Modrzewski, Homo Sacer
Installation View at the La Trobe Art Institute, Bendigo, Australia, 2023.

Nick Modrzewski, Fencing Dispute
Installation View, Contour 556 Canberra Art Biennial.

Nick Modrzewski: The Law of Landscape Painting
Installation View, Watch This Space, Alice Spring, Australia, 2022. Photo by Martina Capurso.