Nicci Sevier-Vuyk Works

Nicci Sevier-Vuyk uses the aesthetics of cuteness as a tool to re-examine cultural norms. From her paintings of toy cars and plastic toy egg containers to the quintessential Valentine’s Day candy, sweethearts, she directs the viewer’s gaze to familiar objects in new ways by questioning beauty and desirability. Her career as a pediatric nurse practitioner influenced her use of pastels, passion for play, and nostalgia for toys and candy.  

She reminds us that, in many ways, cuteness is tied to consumerism and commercialism further embodying what Angelik Vizcarrondo-Laboy, curator and writer of contemporary art and craft, writes, “Cuteness is the first aesthetic most of us encounter in life. We are exposed to it as babies, through consumer goods, even before we are conscious of what we are seeing… Cute objects are compelling because they are approachable, but, more importantly, because they can be possessed.” Paired with these investigations, Sevier-Vuyk employs a pop art style to remind us of the multiple stories these objects hold and the many lives they have lived. 

I commissioned her to create a sweetheart that only existed in my imagination, as Valentine’s Day is often a marker of singledom and participation in white cishet normativity. It reads “Black Love,” which is such a declarative and affectionate statement. Her work goes well beyond what we see to evoke tenderness and sentimentality and perhaps, what the viewer may imagine beyond our current reality. 

Therefore, her work is suited to a variety of environments. Not only do they showcase familiar and approachable childhood objects, but they make you feel and examine what role these objects play in our lives and their greater meaning.