b. 1970, Boston, MA
Lives near San Francisco, CA
Yale University, MA in East Asian Studies: Chinese Painting, 1998
Brown University, BA in History of Art: China, 1993
Solo Exhibitions
2024
Somebody’s Cheering Somewhere, Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA
2022
NEVER BETTER, Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA
2018
Almost Everything On The Table (Curated by Dakin Hart), Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT
Almost Everything Else, Vol.1, ZieherSmith, New York, NY
Almost Everything Else, Vol.2, ZieherSmith Midtown, New York, NY
2017
Patio Music, Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA
Flowerland, Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2016
Flower Paintings, ZieherSmith, New York, NY
2015
Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA
2012
Rocks & Plants, ZieherSmith, New York, NY
Stockhouse, Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA
2011
Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA
2010
ZieherSmith, New York, NY
Temporary Storage Overflow Plan #3, Baer Ridgway (Hallway), San Francisco, CA
2009
Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA
2008
Lincart, San Francisco, CA
2007
ZieherSmith, New York, NY
Electric Works (with Katherine Sherwood), San Francisco, CA
2006
Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA
Brattleboro Museum of Art, Brattleboro, VT
Lincart, San Francisco, CA
2005
ZieherSmith, New York, NY
Together We Can Prevent Earthquakes, Mission 17, San Francisco, CA
Stars and Striptease (with Pat Treyer), Galerie Planaterra, Chur, Switzerland
2004
From Here I Can See Everything, Kunstpanorama, Luzern, Switzerland
Fresh Fish, Southfirst Gallery (Project space), Brooklyn, NY
2003
Hence the Pyramids, Lincart, San Francisco, CA
2001
Tucker Nichols: New Drawings, Lincart (Project space), San Francisco, CA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2021
Close to Home: Creativity in Crisis, SFMOMA, San Franciso, CA
The Violets in the Mountains Have Broken the Rocks, Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA
The Pursuit of Happiness, Tinworks, Bozeman, MT
2020
Free Play, Sun Valley Museum of Art, Ketchum, ID
2017
Social Play, Sun Valley Museum of Art, Ketchum, ID
2017
American Genre: Contemporary Painting (Curated by Michelle Grabner), Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland, ME
The Line (Curated by Joan Davidow), Site 131, Dallas, TX
2016
Take This Hammer: Art + Media Activism from the Bay Area, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2015
The Nothing That Is (Curated by Bill Thelen), Contemporary Art Museum, Raleigh, NC
PLAY (Curated by Chris Finley), Fine Arts Gallery, SF State, San Francisco, CA
2014
OK Great This Is ALSO Ridiculous (Curated by Brion Nuda Rosch), DCKT, New York, NY
Let's Get Ridiculous (Curated by Brion Nuda Rosch), ACME, Los Angeles, CA
2013
Proximities, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA
Spun, Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO
2012
Stage Presence, SFMOMA, San Francisco, CA
Do Not Destroy, Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA
2011
Here Be Dragons, Intersection for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Koh-i-nor, Den Frie Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark
2010
California Biennial, Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA
2009
Present Tense Biennial, Chinatown Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA
Deadpan, K2 Contemporary Art Center, Izmir, Turkey
2008
Vital Signs, Newcomb Art Gallery, New Orleans, LA (Curated by Gary Sangster)
Lots of Things Like This, apexart, New York, NY (Curated by Dave Eggers)
Hot and Cold, Luggage Store, San Francisco, CA (Catalog)
Words Become Pictures, Molloy College Art Gallery, Rockville Centre, NY
2007
The Stable (J&L), OK OK Gallery, Seattle, WA
Pacific Light, Fine Arts Gallery, SF State, San Francisco, CA
2006
Homeland Flares, Brandenburg Kunstverein, Potsdam, Germany
2005
The Artist's Touch, Lincart, San Francisco, CA (Curated by Robin Wright)
Taxi, Biglietteria, Ancona, Italy (Curated by Stephan Wittmer)
2004
Talespinning: Fall Selections, Drawing Center, New York, NY
Hero-glyph, Post Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Minifesto, Kunstpanorama, Luzern, Switzerland
Murmuration of Starlings, Overtones, Los Angeles, CA
Cave Canem, John Connelly Presents, New York, NY
2003
Au Naturel, diRosa Preserve, Napa, CA
Easy Rider, Cell Project Space, London, England
Mark: Contemporary Drawings, Gallery 16, San Francisco, CA
2002
Nest Egg Omelette, Lincart, San Francisco, CA
Free Manifesta, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt, Germany
2001
Think Again, Southern Exposure, San Francisco, CA (Juror: Miwon Kwon)
Et Alli., Lincart, San Francisco, CA
Publications
Tell Them We Were Here, A Film By Griff & Keelan Williams, 2021
Tucker Nichols, Patio Music, Gallery 16, 2017
Dave Eggers and Tucker Nichols, This Bridge Will Not Be Gray, McSweeney's Books, 2015
Assorted notebooks, Plumb (Artist and Creative Director), 2014
The Thing The Book, The Thing Quarterly and Chronicle Books, 2014
Jon and Tucker Nichols, Crabtree, McSweeney's Books, 2013
These Are The People In Your Neighborhood, Gallery 16 Books, 2011
McSweeneys, More Things Like This, Chronicle Books, 2009
"Unsolicited Advertising Section," San Francisco Panorama, McSweeney's, 2009
"Anonymous Postcard," Best American Nonrequired Reading 2009, Edited by Dave Eggers, 2009
Collection Rotation: Tucker Nichols, SFMOMA's Open Space, 2008
Anonymous Postcard, 2008-2010
THE THING Quarterly No 3.5, 2008
15 Yrs Give or Take, Gallery 16, 2008
Into The Museum, de Young Museum, 2008
Hot and Cold No. 2, 2008
Skank Bloc Bologna No. 2, 2008
Sarah Cain, Whistle, SFMOMA, 2007
Tucker Nichols, Postcards From Vermont, Gallery 16, 2006
Tucker Nichols, something along these lines, Lincart, 2006
Tucker Nichols, Placemats, Trillium Press, 2006
Dave Eggers, The Unforbidden Is Compulsory (cover), McSweeney's Books, 2004
Tucker Nichols, Menu, Nieves Books, Switzerland, 2004
Minifesto, Kunstpanorama, Luzern, Switzerland, 2004
Tucker Nichols, Letter From Wyoming, Stretcher, 2004
Tucker Nichols, Lost Data, Broken Wrist Project, 2004
J & L Illustrated No. 2, J & L Books, 2004
Tucker Nichols, Look A Whale, Lincart, 2003
Kay Ryan, Blandeur (broadside), Trillium Press, 2003
Believe You Me: Chinese Proverbs, Trillium Press, 2003
David Khoury, Austerity Program, Mail Plane Press, 2002
Selected Talks
de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA
Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO
DiRosa Preserve, Napa, CA
California College of Arts, San Francisco, CA
Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA
Facebook, Menlo Park, CA
fuseproject, San Francisco, CA
Landor, San Francisco, CA
Oxbow School, Napa, CA
SF Art Institute, San Francisco, CA
SF Arts Commission Gallery, San Francisco, CA
SFMOMA, San Francisco, CA
Stone Yamashita Partners, San Francisco, CA
University of California, Berkeley, CA
Residencies & Commissions
Acadia Summer Arts Program, Acadia, ME
Bravo, New York, NY
deYoung Museum, San Francisco, CA
Facebook, Menlo Park, CA
fuseproject, San Francisco, CA
Jawbone, San Francisco, CA
Headlands Center for the Arts, Sausalito, CA
SFMOMA, San Francisco, CA
UCSF Hospital, Children's Infusion Center, San Francisco, CA
Yahoo, Sunnyvale, CA
Selected Press
2021
Sarah Hotchkiss, “In Final Show (For Now), Gallery 16 Works Take on New, Bittersweet Meanings,” KQED, January 12
”Flowers For Sick People,” SFMOMA Watch
2020
William Brangham, “How This California Artist Is Providing ‘Flowers For Sick People,’” PBS NewsHour, May 8
Colleen Bidwell, “San Anselmo artist sends free flower art to those who are sick,” Marin Independent Journal, April 18
2017
Leora Lutz, "Tucker Nichols: Something Beyond the Truth," Art in Print, November - December
Jesse Hamlin, "Politics Colors New Paintings by Tucker Nichols," San Francisco Chronicle, October 11
"Tucker Nichols at Charlie James," ARTNews, May 26
Angella d'Avignon, "Tucker Nichols at Charlie James," Contemporary Art Review LA, June 15
2016
Roberta Smith, "Tucker Nichols, 'Flower Paintings,'" New York Times, June 16
Edie Cohen, "Three Course Meal," Interior Design, August
Gabe Ulla, "In The Kitchen With Chef Corey Lee at In Situ" New York Times T Magazine, June 13
2015
"Tucker Nichols," Design Matters with Debbie Millman, December 28
Dan McKinley, "Behind The Scenes Of This Bridge Will Not Be Gray With Tucker Nichols," McSweeney's Internet Tendency
Interview with Tucker Nichols, Take Two, KPCC Radio, December 14
Elizabeth Dickinson, "Why The Golden Gate Bridge Is Orange," Fast Co. Design, November 16
Hugh Hart, "A Generous Spirit," Brown Alumni Magazine, November/December
"This Bridge Will Not Be Gray," Publishers' Weekly, October
Kenneth Baker, "Tucker Nichols: New Paintings," San Francisco Chronicle, February 6
David M. Roth, "Tucker Nichols at Gallery 16," Square Cylinder, February 16
Patricia Maloney and Brian Andrews, "Tucker Nichols," Bad at Sports Podcast, February 2
Kimberly Chun, "Tucker Nichols 'New Paintings' Exhibit in Full Bloom," San Francisco Chronicle, January 21
Dane Sanders, "Art, Commerce and Keeping Your Soul With Tucker Nichols," Converge Podcast, January
Barbara Morris, "Tucker Nichols," art ltd., January
2014
Steven Kurutz, "Open Cover; Insert Brilliance," New York Times, May 14
Minh Le, "Never Stopped Doodling: An Interview With the Nichols Brothers," Book Riot, February 13
2013
Brian McMullen, "A Conversation About Crabtree," McSweeney's Internet Tendency, December
John McMurtrie, "Q&A With the Authors of Crabtree," San Francisco Chronicle, December 19
"Not Just Child’s Play: A Fall 2013 Picture Book Preview," The Atlantic Wire, August 23, 2013
2012
Paul Laster, "Tucker Nichols: Rocks & Plants," Time Out New York, January 15
James Chad Hanna, "Wild Side," Garden Design, December
Zachary Royer Scholz, "Tucker Nichols: Stockhouse," Art Practical, July
Barbara Morris, "Tucker Nichols: Stockhouse at Gallery 16," art ltd., September
2011
Kenneth Baker, "Tucker Nichols' Easy Spirit and Fierce Commitments," SF Chronicle, May 28
Mark Van Proyen, "Tucker Nichols at Gallery 16," Square Cylinder, June 4
Geoff Cook, "Interview With Tucker Nichols," Base Now, June 25
Dave Eggers, "Questions For Tucker Nichols," People In Your Neighborhood, May 8
2010
Michael Wilson, "Critics' Picks: Tucker Nichols," Artforum.com, June
"Critics' Pick: Best in Installation," Time Out New York, June 10 - 16
Leanne Shapton, "Tables of Content," New York Times: Style blog, June 11
Chloe Veltman, “Take 5,” New York Times: Bay Area blog, January 14
Kenneth Baker, "Artists to Watch: Tucker Nichols," ARTnews, February [PDF]
2009
Michael Leaverton, "Have A Drink: Tucker Nichols at Gallery 16," SF Weekly, October 30
Kenneth Baker, "Tucker Nichols at Gallery 16," San Francisco Chronicle, November 21
"Postcards From The Edgy" Very Short List, February 26
Ling Ma, "Tell Mayor Newsom How You Really Feel—Via Postcard" SF Examiner, Feb. 26
Danielle Sommer, "Anonymous Postcard" KQED, Jan 5
2008
"Best New Website: Anonymous Postcard," Readymade, December/January
Erica Milvy, "An Anonymous Postcard to the Moms of Mill Valley," 7x7, December
George Pendle, "Lots of Things Like This," Frieze, September
Kenneth Baker, "Tucker Nichols at Lincart," San Francisco Chronicle, May 24
Hayley Kaufman, "Night at the Museum: Artist Tucker Nichols Challenges the Norm", 7x7, May
Emily Weiner, "Lots of Things Like This," Time Out New York, May 1-7
Noah Sudarsky, "Are Words Art?" The Onion, May 1
David Coggins, "Tucker Nichols at ZieherSmith," Art in America, March
R.C. Baker, "Spring Art Picks," Village Voice, March 4
Arriella Budick, "Words Become Pictures at Molloy College", Newsday, March 14
Jesse Nathan, "A Whimsical Selection", SF Station, February 15
Valerie Imus, "Reconciling America: Miraculous Encounters with the Mundane at SF Arts Commission Gallery", Shotgun Review, March 2
Zefrey Throwell Interview, "Tucker Nichols and Anne Colvin", Frank Prattle Radio Show, San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery and WPS1, February 23
2007
"Moving Rocks With Artist Tucker Nichols," Daily Gusto
Dan Brodnitz, "An Interview With Tucker Nichols," Cecil Vortex
"Tucker Nichols, Waiting Rm," Art New England, June/July
Glen Helfand, "Tucker Nichols: Postcards from Vermont," Art On Paper, January/February
"Waiting Rm At BMAC Takes A Fresh, Funny Look At Our Town," Brattleboro Reformer, Feb. 22
2006
Kenneth Baker, "San Francisco's Independent Spirit," Art & Antiques, November
Tiffany Martini, "Postcards from Vermont," San Francisco Examiner, October 28
Katie Kurtz, "Tucker Nichols," San Francisco Bay Guardian, May 17
Kenneth Baker, "Nichols' Found Objects and 'Art-like' Detritus Attract Attention to What Is Normally Missed," SF Chronicle, May 6
Michael Leaverton, "Drawn To Life," SF Weekly, April 26
Clark Buckner, "Profit-Free Zone," ArtReview, May/June
Reyhan Harmanci, "Murky Thoughts, Fully Formed Art," SF Chronicle, April 27
Amanda Church, "Tucker Nichols at ZieherSmith," Art On Paper, March
2005
Hot 20 Under 40, 7X7 Magazine, October
Jane Ganahl, "Natural Disasters Are Impossible to Prevent, But Tucker Nichols Insists Art Can Help Us Cope," San Francisco Chronicle, January 25
Colin Berry, "Tucker Nichols at Mission 17," Artweek, March
Antonia Blue, "Picturing Horror: Can Art Help Us Cope?," Kitchen Sink, Spring
"Stars and Striptease," Bunder Nachrichten, February 4
"Stars and Striptease in der Galerie Planaterra," Churer Magazin, February
Shana Nys Dambrot, "Hero-Glyph at Post," Artweek, February
2004
Amanda Church, "Talespinning," Art On Paper, November/December
"Talespinning," New York Magazine, September 13
"Don't Miss!", Time Out New York, September 2-9
Grace Glueck, "Working Words Into Images, Artists Become Storytellers," NY Times, Sept. 24
Holland Cotter, "Sadie Hawkins Dance," New York Times, June 25
Holland Cotter, "Sampling Brooklyn, Keeper of Eclectic Flames," New York Times, Jan. 23
2003
Lindsey Westbrook, "Tucker Nichols: Hence the Pyramids," ARTNews, October
Shoshana Berger, "From The Editor," Readymade Magazine, Fall
Spark, KQED television, September
David Buuck, "'Mark: Contemporary Drawings' at Gallery 16," Artweek, July/August
Marisa Olsen, "An Uncertain Line at Spanganga," Artweek, May
"Picture Postcard," Artnet, May 27
Lindsey Westbrook, "Critic's Choice: Art," San Francisco Bay Guardian, March 5
Kenneth Baker, "Drawing at Spanganga," San Francisco Chronicle, March 1
Alison Bing, "Drawing Conclusions," SF Gate, February 27
2002
Lindsey Westbrook, "Critic's Choice: Art," San Francisco Bay Guardian, September 25
Antonia Blue, "What Are Words For? Tucker Nichols Combines Words and Images to Express His Singular Vision of the World," Kitchen Sink, October
David Buuck, "Liam Jones and Tucker Nichols at Lincart," Artweek, February
2001
Meredith Tromble, "Quick Stretch," Stretcher, Fall
California Report, NPR member stations throughout California, September