Nathaniel Oliver (b. 1996, Washington, DC) is a multidisciplinary artist based in New York City whose artistic expression spans painting, sculpture, and soundscapes. Throughout his work, Oliver focuses on the phenomenon of “truth,” exploring questions of veracity, fact-finding and citational practices in the media. Oliver’s interest in the social function of truth is informed by his childhood in Washington, D.C. where he observed two worlds in the nation’s capital – the neighborhoods he navigated in the Chocolate City juxtaposed to the daily operations of the capital city. One truth instilled in him during his adolescence was the importance of knowing from where he came. Oliver’s work challenges the facts and the fictions of the world in which we live, drawing from both his own personal upbringing and social norms writ large.
Read More“I hope my motifs are an entry point for a multitude of people to derive a meaning. I like to think the motifs make the paintings multifaceted. Even the title has different meanings depending upon age and cultural backgrounds. You can’t solve my painting alone; you need other perspectives.”
