Jeff Nachtigall

Jeff Nachtigall was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan and over the past few years has split his time between Toronto, Montreal and Regina.  Nachtigall received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Regina and furthered his studies at Illinois State University. Nachtigall’s work is included in a number of permanent collections including the Saskatchewan Arts Board, RBC Art Collection, Mackenzie Art Gallery, Kenderdine Art Gallery, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Nordstrom Corporate Art Collection and many other private corporate collections across North America. 

“Defiantly folksy” Nachtigall challenges viewers with the quirky as well as the everyday. His recent work is not readily categorized; his stylized approach borrows from popular Canadian culture inasmuch as Western art history, melding lowbrow sensibilities with cool conceptualism, neo-expressionism and art brut aesthetics. Nachtigall draws from a wide range of inspirations, including advertising, comic books, and graffiti, to inform his non-linear narratives. Brimming with Canadian nostalgia, these allusions mash together in unexpected ways, amplifying their underlying tensions.

The artist writes: “My practice affords me the opportunity to be in a state of constant play. The studio environment constitutes my sandbox– where blank surfaces and raw materials catapult me into realms of perpetual exploration. This quixotic journey is furthered with every mark made, each revealing another path suitable for my compulsive navigation.”