ABOUT
Nick Pizaña is an artist from Detroit, MI who works in variety of mediums including paintings, murals, comic books and illustration. Nick received his BA in Journalism and Art from Wayne State University and a MA in Painting from Cranbrook Academy of Art. His work has appeared in the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Cranbrook Art Museum, Ann Arbor Art Center and Spotlite Detroit.
Nick has worked with Starz Network, Dally in the Alley, Detroit Hustles Harder, Redbull House of Art and City Walls Detroit.
Artist Statement:
“My first major experiences in art came in my teenage years writing comics and graffiti. Even as I’ve grown and branched out into other mediums, a lot of those aesthetic values still form the foundation of my work. My style is characterized by bright, unnatural color, dark bold lines and expressive figures and shape that invoke movement and action. The narrative goal of my work changes with each series, ranging fromn depictions of everyday life to awesome fantasy. Many times these lines are blurred.“
NICK PIZANA
Detroit, MI (b. 1990)
EDUCATION
2022 — MFA, Painting, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI
2013 — BA, Journalism (Minor in Art), Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
Professional Experience
2026–Present — Collections and Curatorial Assistant, Elaine Jacobs Gallery, Detroit, MI
2022–2025 — Assistant Preparator, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI
2016–2022 — Co-Owner / Co-Curator, KO Gallery, Hamtramck, MI
2014-2019 Board of Directors, Whitdel Arts, Detroit, MI
Residencies & Fellowships
2019–2022 — Artist in Residence, ProjectArt Detroit, Detroit, MI
2014 — Artist in Residence, Red Bull House of Art, Detroit, MI
Selected Murals & Public Works
2025 — Great Lakes Water Authority Processing Plant
2024 — Lansing River Trail, Lansing, MI
2024 — Detroit People Mover (City Walls Detroit), Detroit, MI
2023 — 7 Mile & Gratiot (City Walls Detroit), Detroit, MI
2023 — Murals in Islandview, Detroit, MI
2019 — Murals in the Market, Detroit, MI
Solo Exhibitions
2020 — ’Til the Wheels Fall Off, DSC Gallery, Detroit, MI
2018 — Five Fingers of DEF, KO Studio/Gallery, Detroit, MI
Selected Group Exhibitions
2026 — Love, Spot Lite, Detroit, MI
2025 — City Walls Detroit Artist Showcase, Design Studio 6, Detroit, MI
2025 — Water, Norwest Gallery, Detroit, MI
2023 — A Nightmare on Roncesvalles 2, Northern Contemporary, Toronto, ON
2023 — Comm[Unity] II, Playground Detroit, Detroit, MI
2023 — Summer Lovin’, Northern Contemporary, Toronto, ON
2023 — Motion, Spot Lite, Detroit, MI
2022 — Black Artist Showcase, Ann Arbor District Library, Ann Arbor, MI
2022 — 100th All Media Exhibition, Ann Arbor Art Center, Ann Arbor, MI
2022 — Deep Space, MDW Art Fair (Mana Contemporary), Chicago, IL
2022 — Graduate Exhibition, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI
2020 — Fresh Paint, Forum Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI
2019 — Murals in the Market Festival Exhibition, 1xRUN, Detroit, MI
2019 — Gradient Colors, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Detroit, MI
2017 — 8-Bit, Whitdel Art × Hatch, Hamtramck, MI
2017 — K-OPENING, KO Gallery, Hamtramck, MI
2015 — Heads & Tails, Spread Art, Detroit, MI
2015 — Red Bull House of Art Alumni Exhibition, Red Bull House of Art, Detroit, MI
2014 — Red Bull House of Art Cycle 9, Red Bull House of Art, Detroit, MI
2012 — Wayne State University Student Exhibition, WSU Art Department Gallery, Detroit, MI