Christian Nicolson

Christian Nicolson is a contemporary abstract artist from Auckland, New Zealand. His renowned pop art and landscape paintings evoke narratives of joy, freedom, and nostalgia. Speaking to his love of the great outdoors, Christian’s surfing and contemporary beach scenes come from his own experiences exploring Aotearoa’s incredible coast lines in the North and South Islands. His pop art paintings and sculptures are inspired by his childhood memories, film and music media of different decades, and festivals and famous people from the past. Christian's artwork touches the nostalgia nerve within a wide variety of ages, inviting us to remember the golden years in all their glory.

I like to be creative in as many ways as possible. Whatever it is to get across my idea and explore what I am doing. I make sculptures. I do large installations in the landscape. I use photography, paint, screen printing, have a rock band, I make videos and film. This is the way I want to continue. I pride myself in doing different things.

Christian has a diploma in design (Visual Communications) from Unitec in Auckland. He worked as a designer directing ads, magazines, and logos for several years before leaving that work to follow his dream and become a full-time artist.

Christian continues to be remembered for some of his more daring artistic endeavours. This includes his “Toetoe” installation series placed in several iconic Auckland locations, including in Auckland City Harbour (with the tide coming in!). Today, alongside his contemporary art followers, collectors, and investors, Christian has a small fanbase as a result of his feature film, This Papier Mache Boulder is Actually Really Heavy (2016), for which he won a number of international film festival awards.

Christian is available for commissions and his work is held in many private collections, including the Wallace Trust which has over 40 of his pieces.

Art for me is a passion. Sometimes pure instinct, sometimes quite structured, but usually it’s a fairly organic process. It makes me feel good to express myself. And it’s great to be able to share that with others. Thank you for the love.

Art by the River is the newest art gallery Whanganui has to offer, opening in December 2024. This fine art gallery features a blend of well-known and emerging New Zealand artists, alongside an exclusive art Collectables selection of original art for sale. As an art collectors and dealers , we include rare and sought-after artworks by internationally recognised artists such as Gretchen Albrecht, Banksy, Damien Hirst, Ralph Hotere and Andy Warhol. We are committed to supporting New Zealand artists by providing new exhibitions in-house, connecting both local and international art collectors with important works of art, and contributing to Whanganui’s unique cultural identity.