Nate Lewis (artist) facts for kids
Nate Lewis, born in 1985, is an American artist. He is known for his unique way of making art, which often involves cutting and shaping paper to create amazing 3D effects.
His Art
Nate Lewis studied nursing at Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated in 2009. His art often uses ideas from his medical training. He says his work is inspired by "the rhythms and records of people’s lives." This means he looks at how people live and feel. He also explores feelings like vulnerability (being open and sometimes easily hurt), empathy (understanding how others feel), and care.
How He Makes Art
Nate Lewis is a self-taught artist, meaning he learned art on his own. As he grew as an artist, he started to focus on African-American figures in his work. He also thought about empathy and how it applies outside of a hospital setting. The Washington City Paper described his special art process. First, he prints simple, straight-on portraits in black and white on special paper. Then, he sculpts the paper. He does this by snipping, slicing, and making tiny holes in the outline of the bodies. This makes the figures pop out from the flat paper, creating a cool 3D effect.
Art with a Message
In 2019, Nate Lewis worked with other artists, including street artist Shepard Fairey. They started using large billboards for art that shared political messages. For example, they created messages before a visit by President Trump to Cleveland. This showed how artists can use public spaces to share their ideas.
Achievements
Nate Lewis has received several honors for his art. In 2014, he was a regional winner in the Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series for Washington D.C. His artwork has been part of the US Art in Embassies Program. This program places American art in U.S. embassies around the world. His art is also kept in the permanent collections of the University of Maryland and the Yuko Nii Foundation. In 2014, Lewis was chosen as the very first artist-in-residence for the Martha's Vineyard Art on the Vine Program.
