Meredith Stare

A stencil artist and filmmaker, Nils Westergard grew up in an artistic household. His grandfather was a successful painter in his own right, and Nils began painting theater sets in his early school days. He actively creates stencils to this day, as the base for political art and portrait images. He works both on the streets and in galleries, creating works that sit between fearsome and powerful.

Nils’ eye-catching piece for STRAAT utilizes the scale of his canvas to the full extent. He comments on this image: “While there isn’t an ounce of fear in her, the power of her gaze and the scale of the piece belittles the viewer and allows her to dominate.” The butterfly in the lower left corner of the painting is another way for Nils to sign his art.