INFINITE by SUSAN SWARTZ
22 October, 2026 – 15 January, 2027
Curated by CLAIRE BREUKEL
NIA Gallery announces the first major solo exhibition in the Czech Republic by world-renowned environmental artist Susan Swartz.
The Infinite, exhibition of forty-three paintings, prints, and sculptures is an exploration of abstraction and painterly expression as a means for creating space for contemplation and positive connection to the natural environment.
The Infinite brings together seminal works from Swartz’s “Contemplation” series that were inspired by the subtle yet complex colors and ephemeral forms of cloud cover and geographical aerial views the artist saw from her window. The series represents expansive worlds that both reflect and invite moments for introspection and healing. Other series include “Nature Revisited”, “Emerging Bouquet” and “Petals & Pollen”, which incorporate the hues found in nature, specifically from found flowers and leaves, as well as flora imprints within, and textures of organic forms upon, the canvas and ceramic surfaces.
ABOUT SUSAN
Throughout her storied career, American abstract painter Susan Swartz has intently explored themes from the natural world. Her vibrant, layered artworks lie at the intersection of art, nature, and spirituality, expressing environmental urgency while transforming color, texture, and movement into immersive, contemplative experiences. Her dedication as an environmental activist was recognized in Salt Lake City when she was selected as the Official Olympic Environmental Artist for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Shortly thereafter, she battled two environmentally borne illnesses, Lyme disease and mercury poisoning. These experiences deepened her advocacy for environmental stewardship. These experiences marked a pivotal shift in her practice-from realism to abstraction-as she moved from depicting what she saw to creating expressive and interpretive artworks. Swartz has participated in solo museum and gallery exhibitions throughout the United States as well as in China, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Russia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy, and Portugal. Her artwork is held in museum, embassy, private, public, and corporate collections. She works actively from studios in both Park City, Utah, and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Despite a six-year-long recovery from environmentally borne illnesses, Susan Swartz relentlessly embraces hope. The artist channels her faith, repeatedly choosing to celebrate nature within her practice in the face of omnipresent environmental challenges. One such crisis is the drying of Great Salt Lake in Utah, only 50 miles from the artist’s home and gallery she founded,
In alignment with NIA Gallery, a space founded by Nikol Popovska to show contemporary art that raises awareness of pressing social issues of our time, Susan Swartz has created a social impact limited edition of 50 prints to raise funds for the community in which she is showing.
Titled “Nature Revisited 61”, the print is a colorful and painterly celebration of flora with brushstrokes that dance over the composition. All proceeds of print sales go to Fortna Support Program in Prague, with each print providing free hours of professional therapeutic support to people navigating life’s most difficult moments.
