John Nieto

John Nieto was born in Denver but grew up outside Roswell, New Mexico, near the Apache Reservation. He studied at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and earned a bachelor of fine arts in 1959. After graduating he traveled to Paris where he was particularly struck by the boldly colored works of fauve painters like Henri Matisse and André Derain. Nieto’s encounter with the fauves would prove to have a lifelong effect on his work and when he returned to the States he resolved to paint his native Southwest culture using a vibrant palette and modern forms. Nieto still produces works depicting Native American figures and Southwestern themes. He has exhibited work both in the United States and internationally and his canvases are immediately recognizable for their large size, striking use of color, and graphic compositions.