I create iterations of two-dimensions paintings and drawings utilizing the fundamental elements of art, allowing asymmetrical compositions to emerge via the placement and scale of the elements. This process results in work that resembles quilts, circuits, or maps.
My method embraces chance, having no specific outcome in mind, and I labor to unearth a direction. This approach allows me to be present, react to the marks before me, carve order out of chaos, and be mindful of the process.
My investigation uses ordinary objects, such as flattened boxes that previously held consumer goods as patterns in layered arrangements, forming networks of lines, spaces, and shapes. I select areas to accentuate, creating moments where lines contract to cut narrow paths like seams through expansive shapes. Analogous, muted hues interrupted with moments of saturated color lead the eye around the surface of the picture plane void of form, emphasizing the application of thick paint next to thin and color layered upon color. This process creates a rich tapestry of contrasts with junctures of focus.
Encircling my studio practice is my early appreciation for textiles. My mom taught me to sew at a young age. Working with my hands, I learned the magic of transforming a two-dimensional plane into three dimensions through seams, tucks, darts, and pleats. My affinity for flattened boxes stems from my fondness for sewing patterns. I note similarities between the materials. Both allow for a transformation from two to three dimensions, are disposable by design, and create or house items deemed worthy of value.
There is an undeniable link between sewing and my mom in my studio practice. She occupied a multifaceted role in our family: breadwinner, caretaker, and champion of the domestic sphere. Her contribution to the family and society went unnoticed; this led me to employ sewing and textile materials and methods to signify "women's work" denoting minimized gender visibility in society. Caretaking, domestic labor, and supporting roles form the seams that hold society together yet are overlooked and undervalued.
Just as women's labor is underrated, fiber arts have frequently been regarded as "craft" and, therefore, deemed less valuable than art. I intentionally place my work on the line between decorative craft and art. Through this act, I question the validity and necessity of labels defining value. I quietly work to expose ingrained biases in systems, hoping for something more egalitarian and humane.
Biography
Nollette's work has been shown in exhibitions across the United States and China. It is also part of prominent private and public collections, including the Detroit Institute of the Arts (Detroit, MI), Yves St. Laurent (New York, NY), MGM Mirage Hotel (Las Vegas, NV), J. Jill Group (Tilton, NH), and Gerald R. Ford International Airport (Grand Rapids, MI).
She was awarded a 2025 Carraig-na-gCat Artists Residency in West Cork, Ireland; a 2022 Thread Artists Residency in Sinthian, Africa; and a 2016 Marble House Project Artists Residency in Dorset, VT.
Nollette holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Nebraska, a BFA from the Kansas City Arts Institute, and an MFA from Queens College.