Full CV

 Nora Shields makes sculptural works that explore the interplay between industrial materials and decorative forms. Her practice often involves creating large-scale abstractions using materials such as metal, fabric, and paper, resulting in circular relief sculptures that range from understated monochromes to vibrant compositions, incorporating found patterns and textures.  Shields is interested in the concept of folding and unfolding of the object itself and the act of viewing/seeing. Drawing inspiration from her background in theater and interiors informs her use of dramatic patterns and textures. She frequently employs elements like fringe plus references to industrial materials (paint and metal), to create a dynamic tension between the playful and the utilitarian, the hard and the soft.  Some of the forms appear spare and minimal with striking colors with a visual intensity that suggests the theatrical and the contemplative.

Nora Shields was born in Pittsburgh, PA and lives in Los Angeles, CA. She received a Master of Fine Art from Art Center College Of Design, Pasadena, CA in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts from University Of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand in 1998. Shields’ has had solo exhibitions at The Pit gallery in Los Angeles in 2016, 2019 and 2022.  Her work was featured in Truth Syrup, Guggenheim Gallery, Chapman University, Orange, CA (2016) and has been included in artist-driven projects such as Garden, Ladies Room LA, Los Angeles, CA (2021); Waves, Ladies Room LA, Los Angeles, CA (2020); Electric Banquet, Southfield, Detroit, MI (2018); Re-Planetizer, Regina Rex, New York, NY (2016); Total Work, Elder House, Los Angeles, CA (2015); Interstice, Project Art Space, New York, NY (2014); and The Birthing Valley of the Blood Poppies, Actual Size, Los Angeles, CA (2011).