Tyler "6" Nelson (b. 1994) creates and paints in hues of self-discovery and societal critique. Each image bleeds from canvas or shimmers on the screen, a symphony of vulnerability and rebellion. With every pixel, they unravel the tapestry of their own existence, where childhood havens morph into restrictive cages, and Black joy dances defiantly under the spotlight of systemic shadows. Born queer and nonbinary, Nelson's artistry is a crucible for forging identities. Within the sanctuary of their bedroom, once a bastion of innocence, now a laboratory of liberation, they grapple with the masks they wear for the world and the truth burning beneath. Kinship, intimacy, and sex become brushstrokes, each layer revealing a facet of the self yearning to be seen, both by the artist and by a society teetering on the precipice of change. But Nelson's gaze isn't solely introspective. They wield their lens as a bridge, stepping outside the canvas to capture the lived realities of their community. Black cultural nuances ignite their spirit, echoing in the works of Deana Lawson and Carrie Mae Weems, weaving narratives of resilience and resistance.
This self-taught creative breathes life into more than pixels. Acrylic swirls into galaxies of emotion, echoing the abstract cries of the Washington Color School, the raw angst of Abstract Expressionism. Each medium shift is a metamorphosis, a testament to the healing power of ancestral wisdom and the relentless evolution of a culture demanding its rightful space. 6 doesn't merely make art; they wield it as a torch, a defiant flame illuminating the path towards a future where sanctuaries aren't prisons, and identities bloom unfettered. Their work is a siren song, a visceral plea for recognition, a love letter to Black resilience, and a middle finger to the oppressor’s gaze. This is more than art; it's a revolution blossoming on canvas, in pixels, and in the very soul of the beholder.
Nelson has had the pleasure of working with brands such as the LGBT Center, the Studio Museum of Harlem, the NBA, AIRBNB and many others.
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