Nicole Appel

Born 1990, Queens, NY Nicole Appel (b. 1990) lives in Queens and works at Brooklyn’s LAND Studio and Gallery, which she joined in 2016. A self-taught artist, Appel’s detailed color pencil drawings act as non-traditional forms of portraiture that reflect her deep connection to the world and those around her. With themes ranging from animals to travel and beyond, Appel’s compositions merge seemingly disparate subjects to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces. Conventional portraits have traditionally represented people using their faces. Appel’s “Patchwork Portraits” represent people non-traditionally, as a collection or ‘patchwork’ of the things that they like or care about. Appel’s works are represented in important collections nationally and internationally, including the collections of the Museum of Everything, Rebecca and Martin Eisenberg, and KAWS. Appel’s work was recently featured in The Way I See It: Selections from KAWS Collection at The Drawing Center (2024-25).