Born in Taipei in 1973, Nick Dong has a BFA in Mixed Medias and Painting from Tung-Hai University and an MFA in Metalsmithing and Jewelry from University of Oregon. His artworks have been exhibited internationally. Most recently, participating venues have included the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 2012, where his work will enter the permanent collection. Dong has created works for various genres including paintings, installations, and performance arts. Marked by exquisite craftsmanship, all Dong’s works, from materials development and utilization, from small dimension paintings to large installations, are the outcome of the artist’s meticulous handiwork.

Artist Statement: “Sketching, for most artists, is the beginning of a process typically intended to generate a polished, finished artwork. Far more than arriving at an end result, I’ve been increasingly fascinated by the journey leading to it—a fascination that has led me to start working with enamel. I found that by melting glass onto metal at 1500° F, I could capture the graphite powder of my pencil sketches within several layers of enamel and glass, essentially creating a physical archive of an image and the ideas behind it. I have tried to preserve many moments—many different kinds of paths—in these enamel panels, the sudden impressions of a landscape, an encounter, a flower, a body, a gaze.” – Nick Dong 

Image: © Nick Dong, Michael Ku Gallery