With every Young Contemporaries exhibition, the Halsey Institute receives many impressive submissions of art from College of Charleston students. Particularly noteworthy of these is Nori Page, whose painting was distinguished as “Best In Show” by juror Amy Yoes at YC’s opening. Nori’s two pieces on view at the Halsey Institute evoke an abstract expressionist style with an fantastical twist, inspiring curiosity and wonder. As an intern at the Halsey Institute, I was super excited to visit Nori at her studio and learn more about her work. Here’s our interview:

Hey Nori! Congratulations on winning “Best In Show” at this year’s annual Young Contemporaries exhibition. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m from Charleston, SC. I’m a senior and Studio Art major. I’ve lived in Charleston my whole life and have been oil painting for three years now.

What was your goal in creating these works? Is there something in particular that you’re trying to communicate? 

The small one was originally a painting of a lapis lazuli stone but I turned it into something more abstract. The larger one was going to be a painting of my friend posing as a scientist as he just discovered something new. As you can see, I moved away from that idea as well. 

What was the process like for developing these pieces? Why is painting appealing to you as your method of choice?

I think it’s important to be guided by intuitive decisions. I respond to each of these decisions with another intuitive decision, and so on. I think these decisions have something to do with the effect that everyday experiences have on me. I try to always notice the changes in my surroundings, even the small ones because I think that a small event like getting a whiff of a flower bush as I’m walking down the street has potential to be transformative. If I continue being aware of these kinds of things then every day is like a lifetime. Every new experience or observation, big or small, good or bad, is important for the progression of each painting. I take in a lot of information all day long about the changes in my environment, and I think that the process of painting is like an attempt at communicating my response to it.

Do you have any favorite artists that you look towards for inspiration? Who and why?

I just went to New York City for Spring Break and it was really amazing to see such beautiful artwork everywhere. I love the idea of anyone putting their time and energy into art. Some of my favorite painters are Odilon Redon, Marc Chagall, and Wassily Kandinsky. 

What’s next for you? 

I’m hoping to become a flight attendant for a while after college and then I plan to live and paint in San Francisco. 

To see more of Nori’s art, check out her Instagram page: @nori.page.art