Meet the Artist: Nina K Cullen

March 2022—Croatia-born Nina Kolarek-Cullen knew at an early age that her life would follow in the direction of art, design, and fashion. She took her talent to new levels with education in Switzerland and London at the American College of Design, earning a Bachelor of Fine Art degree. 

Her fashion illustrations were featured in trendy London fashion publications and, after completing her studies, she moved to New York City where she found the energy not just exciting, but embracing. She rose to prominence as a fashion designer with her own Nina K women’s line and won the “Rising Star Award” from the National Fashion Association. Her creations appeared in numerous films and on television and were worn on air by newscasters and hosts.

Upon moving to Southern California in the 1990s, she focused her talent and ambition on creating her art as a full-time career, painting large abstract expressionistic oil paintings. Galleries and collectors quickly took notice.

A love of color, design, and texture informs her work, along with inspiration from the kaleidoscope of colors found in nature. She has developed her own technique of applying thick layers of oil paint with a palette knife to achieve rich textures and dimensions. Each piece takes several weeks, requiring layers of paint and glossy glazes that build on each other and complete the journey to achieving her vision.

To Cullen, the act of painting is a burst of passion that sweeps over the expanse of canvas, vibrating with a sense of color magnetism. She says, “My oil paintings are an expression of how I see life and its vibrant energy.”

To view more of Cullen’s work, visit www.ninak-artist.com.