For the past year, people across the globe have been experiencing life as they never have before. For so many of us, the pandemic has put a stop to the normality of daily existence and it may seem hard to imagine returning to a “pre-covid” world. In the United States, the coronavirus has exacerbated the effects of the country’s own internal conflicts and historical disparities. The world watched as Americans marched in protest against the systemic injustices of their country and we witnessed how a nation can become consumed by a rhetoric that promotes divisiveness and animosity towards others. 

For Brooklyn-based artist Nicolas Holiber, lockdown, during the early days of coronavirus, was a time for deep self-reflection, triggering a shift in the content of his work. In a response to the times, Holiber began to focus on themes of conflict and tragedy with an aim to explore human behaviour. His work is not necessarily a comment on these issues but is more of an exposé. Holiber’s paintings are able to capture all of the stresses, anxieties, and uncertainties we may be feeling at this very moment.

Holiber’s experimental approach marries intuition and reason. This results in tumultuous compositions that are, in and of themselves, objects of struggle and opposing forces. During the final stage of his process, Holiber is forced to reconcile with his actions as he looks to decipher what lies before him. Through the use of fleshy, visceral oil paint, he is able to build upon this surface to form a cohesive, albeit mangled, image of human interaction.

The abject figures that inhabit Holiber’s paintings carry with them a sense of violence and the grotesque that may seem all too real today. However, Holiber’s candy coloured palette and rich flesh tones only draw the viewer closer; his works are like a train wreck you cannot stop looking at. Whatever you take away from these artworks, there is no doubt that they will serve as reminders of a most unflattering and unforgettable time.