Portals & Interiors by Nicolas Dalton
DATE:
May 6 - 31, 2026
\ARTIST:
Nicolas Dalton
CURATOR:
Kelly Edwards
OPENING RECEPTION:
May 9, 2026 2:00-4:00PM
Arbor Gallery is pleased to present Portals & Interiors, a solo exhibition by Nicolas Dalton, featuring a series of abstract paintings and works on paper that explore perception, transformation, and the quiet spaces between moments. These works invite viewers to pause, look longer, and consider what exists just beyond the visible.
Artist Statement:
For me, at its best, painting is liberation, akin to meditation, when time ceases and I can explore the moments in between moments. It is also a process, consciously and playfully participating in the creation of the universe one brush stroke at a time. Some strokes happen more fluidly than others. I take pleasure in exploring the different media (most recently acrylic paintings on panel and Conte crayons/charcoal on paper) and find the need for a near constant re-education as an important part of the process.
I tend to work in short (6 to 12 or so) series, where I can elaborate on an idea or a form and then use that elaboration as the foundation for a new series. For some paintings there is a clear vision of the end piece right from the start, but most paintings arise from a sort of “reciprocal adaptation” between me and the work. A work is not finished until it has been seen by someone other than the artist.
Artist Bio:
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Born in France of an American father and French mother. Raised in France, England and Germany. Attended the American College in Paris, Columbia University and Empire State College (SUNY). Majored in political philosophy and comparative literature. My grandfather, great uncle, mother and sister were/are all artists so there was plenty of exposure to the visual arts.
I came to New York City in 1980 and stayed. Had ambitions to be a fiction writer. Started painting to pay for my writing! That didn’t work, but I kept painting anyway as it was easier than writing and generally came from a less dark place. My best show, “Postcards from Knossos” was a solo show at the Vassar Center Gallery, an exhibition of multi-panel abstract paintings inspired by the Daedalus/minotaur myths.
In 2001 I started teaching Svaroopa® yoga and running Padmalaya Yoga studio in Millerton, NY. This required most of my creativity and a good deal of time, so I took a break from painting. I returned to painting during the covid-19 pandemic and have been at it ever since.
