Skip to content Skip to footer

Nickie Gunning

Forbidden Snax | 16″ x 13″ | Ceramic porcelain and wood | 2021


Artist Statement

Nickie Gunning plays to process abjection. A collection of gestural forms inspired by their own body’s movement, wandering through, and exploring their environment. By mixing found and personal remnants into their ceramic practice, they build assemblages that address identity, poverty, and body image. 
Clay is thrown. Fitted with materials—hair, teeth, clothing, wood, plastic, stones, bungee cords, toy bullets, brake pads —they have accumulated these things. They assemble all the components (referencing Nickie) and have a dialog with the materials until they can hear the conversation that they need to have with themself. 
“What the fuck is this?” “Is that a dick?” “Why the fuck would someone throw this out?” “What did they say?” “Why am I drawn to this?”  “Maybe because….” The finished product is a magnificent mess of emotion and instability. They track this mess inside for the viewer to interpret freely.

Artwork/s at the following locations:
Anton Art Center
Collected Detroit

Artist Website + Social Media:
https://www.nickiegunning.com/
Instagram @kienic55

MR/QD Is Made Possible BY

Artists stipends made possible by Kresge Arts in Detroit

For details and more info on making a contribution to Mighty Real/Queer Detroit, please contact us at info@mrqd.org

About MR/QD

Mighty Real/Queer Detroit is an art exhibition in June 2022 devoted to 77 years (1945-2022) of Detroit LGBTQ+ art 

The exhibition presents a month-long historical examination of the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and its longtime allies, featuring established & emerging Detroit artists, as well as artists whose careers were shortened by HIV/AIDS.

Mighty Real/Queer Detroit is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization committed to promoting positive and meaningful images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through artistic and intellectual means. © 2023. All Rights Reserved.