Abstract Art Nashville
- carleyhaggerty
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Like many artists, as a young person I had the idea that for a piece of art to be “good” it needed to look like “something”. And it needed to look as much like that “something” as possible. I have vivid memories of working on school art projects hunched over the kitchen table with a toothbrush the size of a q-tip trying to master the intricate details of a grape, or some other everyday object.
As I’ve gotten older I’ve found myself caring a lot less about capturing reality, (and having a lot less ability to hunch over any table). In recent years, I’ve fully leaned into the world of abstract art, and I’ve found that Nashville is such a vibrant, hidden gem for both creating and discovering it. I’m excited by the feeling a piece of art gives me- sometimes that comes in the form of obvious forms and sometimes in just shapes and color. In the last few years I’ve fully abandoned painting and drawing “things” in pursuit of capturing feelings and the excitement that comes from the way colors communicate on the canvas.
I love abstract art. I love that it gets to mean whatever you want it to mean. And it has an immediate KABOOM when you look at it. It feels like looking at a poem. And of course it’s a match made in heaven for interiors. A big ol’ abstract art piece can change the entire rhythm and emotion of a space.
If you’re interested in looking at some more abstract art in Nashville and don’t know where to start, here’s a list of a few of my favorite abstract artists in Nashville right now.
Carley is a Nashville based abstract watercolor painter creating original, hand-painted works on stretched canvas and paper for collectors and interior designers across the country. Her paintings blend soft, atmospheric color washes with bold geometric forms - playful, sophisticated pieces designed to anchor a room or complement a broader design palette.
Heather Golinko (HEGO) is a self-taught ink artist and sculptor based in Nashville, Tennessee.
She paints with ink on synthetic paper, letting the pigment flow freely before guiding it with the heat of a soldering iron into intricate, sculptural compositions. Each piece is mounted on hand-drilled panels that transform her delicate forms into dimensional works of art. The result is a body of work that feels alive - meticulous yet organic, grounded yet full of motion - reflecting the intricate systems that connect both nature and design.
Amanda Lomax is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist born and based in Nashville, TN. Her work utilizes creative applications of digital photography and sculptural objects in order to explore universal questions of being.
Jennifer Staples is a Nashville-based artist known for her serene, elegant paintings that blend realism and impressionism. She paints the natural world as a way to process her own life.
Rollins is a self-taught artist from Jackson, Mississippi and currently resides in Nashville. She would love to help you find the perfect work for your space and is available to answer any inquiries. You can follow her journey here and on Instagram @rollinsparkerart.
Born in NYC and spending college years in Santa Barbara, California, Lisa Haddad now lives in Nashville, where she paints and collaborates with other artists. She loves to work with found materials and often layers paint with weathered and altered papers that lend atmosphere to
remembered or imagined places.
Kimia Ferdowsi Kline earned an M.F.A. at the San Francisco Art Institute and holds a B.F.A. in painting from Washington University in St. Louis, where she was awarded a full-tuition
Danforth Scholarship.
She has mounted solo exhibitions at Turn Gallery (New York), Marrow Gallery (San Francisco), The Elaine L. Jacobs Gallery at Wayne State University (Detroit) and 68 Projects (Berlin). Select group shows include Ceysson & Bénétière, The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, CANADA Gallery, Vanderbilt University, and The Drawing Center.
Intuitive abstract artist Karen Johnston tucks wisps of emotion into painted layers of nature and life. Her process produces images that suggest a feeling of familiarity, yet spur the imagination to reach for a personal sense of meaning.
While working commercially, her personal art expanded from realism to
abstraction as she continued to experiment and hone an inmost artistic vision. Embracing abstract expressionism granted her the freedom to combine emotion, knowledge, and energy with her own set of experiences and observations.
Of course, this is just a small piece of Nashville's abstract art scene, and it's only getting bigger. I'll be adding more to it as I discover. If you've got a favorite that I've missed feel free to leave a comment. If you want to see where my work fits into all this, you can check out my current collection here.
Thanks for reading, and here's to more color, shapes, and abstract art in Nashville.
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