We caught up with the gallerist to ask her about how she approaches her work, what it's like being a trailblazer and her thoughts on the state of the art market.
Many publications, including this one, have told the story of gallerist and curator Nicola Vassell’s career arc, but here’s a tl;dr version: She has built a reputation for championing underrepresented voices, particularly those of African American and African diaspora artists, and she has been widely recognized for being the first Black woman to open a Chelsea gallery. Prior to that, she held directorships at blue-chip galleries, including Deitch Projects and Pace; launched the art consultancy and curatorial agency Concept NV; and produced six editions of the No Commission art fair with the hip-hop producer (and avid art collector) Swizz Beatz. She curated Beatz and Alicia Keys’s Dean Collection and the artwork that appeared in Season 2 of the hit TV show Empire.
Vassell’s talents are clearly manifold, though her special skill may be identifying opportunity ahead of the rest of us. When, as now Wall Street Journal photo editor Danielle Scruggs wrote for Observer in 2019, the gallerist made a splash with the exhibition “Black Eye” in Tribeca, she brought together the work of Kehinde Wiley, Steve McQueen, Rashaad Newsome, Hank Willis Thomas, Wangechi Mutu, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Deana Lawson, Xaviera Simmons and Rashid Johnson. A group of artists, Scruggs pointed out, “who have shown together a lot since, but not so much before.” Cultured called her the Art Whisperer.
Originally from Jamaica, Vassell opened her eponymous Chelsea space, Nicola Vassell Gallery, in 2021 with an inaugural exhibition featuring Ming Smith. The gallery quickly garnered attention for its focus on socially relevant themes and its representation of cutting-edge talent. Now, she’s preparing to open “Prince of the Far Rainbow” on November 2, an exhibition of new abstract paintings and works on paper by artist Alteronce Gumby. We caught up with Vassell to ask her a few questions about how she approaches working with artists, what it’s like to be a trailblazer and her thoughts on the current state of the art market.
