STATES OF MIND by Michelle Neilson
SITE:
104 St. Alley of Light
Michelle Neilson
STATES OF MIND
VENUE ADDRESS: 104 St. Alley of Light, Edmonton AB
Open 24/7
Michelle Neilson, MIND BLOWN, 2025. Acrylic on wood, 23.75” x 23.75”
Michelle Neilson’s installation STATES OF MIND explores consciousness through hands, eyes, and the quiet pull of the cosmos—both within and beyond. A subtle meditation on self-awareness, the work is rendered in stark black on pale wood, like an X-ray on a lightbox, exposing the psyche. The installation invites pause, asking us to look inward and question our shifting states of mind. What is consciousness? Who is conscious? The answers aren’t found in the paintings—only fluid, playful images that provoke reflection and invite us to question ourselves.
ARTIST STATEMENT
“My installation STATES OF MIND explores consciousness through hands, eyes, and the quiet pull of the cosmos—both within and beyond. ”
A subtle meditation on self-awareness, the work is rendered in stark black on pale wood, like an X-ray on a lightbox, exposing the psyche. The installation invites pause, asking us to look inward and question our shifting states of mind. What is consciousness? Who is conscious? The answers aren’t found in the paintings—only fluid, playful images that provoke reflection and invite us to question ourselves.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Michelle Neilson is a Canadian artist based on the Sunshine Coast of British Colombia. Her work explores consciousness, perception, and the layered nature of the human experience. Born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, she studied Fine Arts at the University of Alberta before travelling internationally and living in Paris and Tokyo—experiences that continue to shape her perspective and visual language.
After returning to her creative practice in 2024, Michelle began developing a body of abstract work rooted in themes of awareness, identity, and the unseen forces that shape how we think and feel. Her work often features simple, recurring imagery—eyes, hands, and symbolic forms—paired with wordplay to invite reflection and curiosity.
Her process unfolds in three distinct stages, moving between spontaneity and precision. It begins with loose, intuitive doodles sparked by a theme, a phrase, or a philosophical conversation, allowing her inner child to explore freely. These sketches are then refined digitally through finger painting, where composition, balance, and form are carefully considered. In the final stage, she translates the image onto wood, rendering each line with deliberate care—often leaving the raw wood as the positive space, with painted black negative space surrounding it.
This intersection between play and control is central to her practice. The resulting work is raw, spontaneous, and intentional. Neilson’s work quietly prompts viewers to pause, look inward, and question their own states of mind and beliefs as they connect to the world around them.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelleneilson88/
Website: www.artbymichelleneilson.com
Substack: www.substack.com/@michelleneilson/posts