In her response to Periphery, Nicole Pletts reflected on what matters most: family. Her serene simplified paintings focus on the “starring role,” while everything else remain peripheral – a quiet metaphor for life and art alike.
“I’ve been painting seriously and professionally for about 30 years, although it feels like a hundred,” says South African artist Nicole Pletts with a smile. For her, the Periphery theme felt like a natural fit.
“My mind is quite active, so in my painting I always try to simplify — to simplify the subject matter, the backgrounds, and create space for calm. I always think it’s about the starring role, and everything else is peripheral. My paintings are about finding a quiet space to land, both in colour and in subject matter, and Periphery speaks directly to that.”
Nicole’s work often centres around family, guided by her personal belief that “the quality of relationships is the quality of your life.” In her paintings, family members take the starring role, while everything around them becomes secondary. “Metaphorically, the paintings are about family. Where they are is insignificant. You can decide if they’re by a pool, at the beach, or in a home — the focus is on how they are interacting with each other.”
This philosophy also shapes her commissioned work. “People will say they want their husband, and then a boat, a dog, and a tree,” she laughs. “But I always come back to: what’s important? You can have supporting roles to position a person, but the starring role should feature. For me, in Periphery, it’s the family — and that’s what I painted.”
Through her work, Nicole reminds us of the essence of connection, grounding us in what matters most while allowing the peripheral to fade quietly into the background.