bio

Zoe Nichols is an interdisciplinary artist based in Birmingham. Her work, primarily light-based installation and sculptural works, ponders the visual language of absence. The worn steps of a cathedral are her muse. A love of philosophy and attention to light play important roles in her writing and art practices. 

Nichols graduated Spring of 2024 from Watkins College of Art at Belmont University with a B.A. in Art Studies and Philosophy. She has studied abroad in Spain and Ireland with an additional semester at The Oregon Extension. During her undergraduate career, Zoe was awarded the Rising Junior Award, the Rising Senior Award, and the Cyril V. Evans Outstanding Student Award. Nichols is also the recipient of the Sandra Hutchinson’s Non-Fiction Writing Award and Innovative Concept Award. She has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions across Nashville. Her 2024 thesis exhibition was a synthesis of her art and philosophy degrees as she examined the presence found in absence and light. After graduating school, Nichols moved back to Birmingham, AL and is now a member of the makerspace, MAKEbhm. Nichols will be furthering her research on absence and light by attending a darkness retreat with the generous aid of the Walter and Sarah Knestrick Award.