June has arrived and so has #FirstFriday with Philly PR Girl! Today we are highlighting someone who truly knows how to combine humor, art and activism all into one. Meet Philadelphia-based installation and crochet artist, Nicole Nikolich!
Originally from Northern Virginia, Nicole made her way to Philadelphia in 2016 to work for a local fashion company. After finding her love for crochet needles, she decided to take her art to the streets. With eye catching colors and thought-provoking themes, Nicole’s work is certainly not something you’re going to want to miss. Keep reading to learn more about Nicole’s inspiration, creative process and upcoming projects!
Philly PR Girl: Your style and technique are like nothing we’ve seen before. In a few words, how would you describe your art?
Nicole: Bold, unexpected, tactile. It makes you stop in your tracks and think ‘oh, I’ve never seen that before, what is that?’ I try to do a good amount of activism art, which reflects on mental health and LGBTQ rights specifically. On the other hand, it can also be super playful and art for art’s sake. It is a good mixture of the two.
Philly PR Girl: So what does your art represent? What does your art mean to you?
Nicole: I suffer pretty badly from depression and anxiety. The winter of 2017 I ended up in the hospital for a bit. Once I got out, I heard about the amazing things crocheting does for your mental health and decided to teach myself. It combines my love for color and texture and is something that keeps my mind still. Since then, I just haven’t stopped! So for me, my art is almost a meditative practice. It’s a way to express myself while also being my mental health remedy, mediation, religion, and creative outlet. It has really helped me in every aspect of my life.
Philly PR Girl: That’s amazing! Where do you find most of your inspiration?
Nicole: Everywhere. I get inspiration from all the yarn at the store, on the streets of Philadelphia, and through other creatives. I love a good motif accompanied with a pun or lyric. I often try to combine two different things into one, a juxtaposition of funny lightheartedness with a little bit of ‘oh wait a minute.’ I definitely have a knack for capturing attention like that, especially because my medium is so different.
Philly PR Girl: Can you tell us a bit about the creative process that goes into each and every piece?
Nicole: This is a question I get a lot as I am installing street art out in the open. People ask if I just made the piece right then and there,
and absolutely not! A lot of time goes into a piece before it is brought to the streets. I use a very large crochet hook which allows me to cover more space.
My practice is usually getting inspiration, sketching it out, creating the pieces in my studio and assembling it on the street. Often when people think of yarn bombing they think of wrapping a tree, bicycle, etc. But what I think sets me aside is that I install on abandoned buildings, boarded up businesses, places that need a bit of love!
Philly PR Girl: We love seeing your art around the city! How has Philadelphia’s culture influenced your art?
Nicole: When I moved here in 2016, I had never done any street art. Once I learned to crochet, it was clear that I didn’t just want to make hats or clothing. So, I was really researching yarn bombing in general and how I could be a part of Philly’s street art. I mean we are in the mural capital of the world. So really, it influenced me to put my creations out there because there are just so many beautiful pieces in Philadelphia.
Philly PR Girl: What has been your favorite project thus far? What makes it stand out from the rest?
Nicole: I have two favorites. I have a mural at the Philadelphia Airport in the AB connector, along with many other fiber artists. It is really special to me because I recreated a sketch I did in high school. Also, the first day after I officially left my corporate job and decided to crochet full time, I received an email from the airport asking if I would create something for them. It felt very serendipitous considering it is such a prestigious place to showcase your art.
My favorite piece of street art I’ve ever done was a collaboration with my friend Symone Salib. We did a scavenger hunt of the ‘Fab 5’ from the televison series, Queer Eye. We pasted their faces on buildings, I added crochet elements, and we hid them all over different neighborhoods in Philly. All of the members ended up seeing them and it was featured on the show! It was just a really cool experience to see who walked by them, who it affected, and the kind of snowball effect it created.
Philly PR Girl: Are there currently any pop up installations the city of Philadelphia can hunt down? Do you have any big projects up your sleeve?
Nicole: I have the giant egg on S 23rd St & Washington Ave, which everyone went crazy over. It’s cool because the “yolk” is stuffed with recycled plastic bags which makes it 3D. I also have a bunch of sushi on South St & S 3rd S. with the caption ‘Philly Rolls with it.’ Going up on June 9th on 5th & South St. is a Massive piece for Pride month. But that is all I can tell you for now, you’ll have to just wait and see it for yourself!
What another amazing #FirstFriday interview! Be sure to keep up with Nicole’s latest pop up installations on Instagram and visit her website, Laceinthemoon.com. For more interviews like this, head on over to our blog! Have a happy June, Philadelphia! We’ll see ya next month!
