Nathan Neven

Emperors and Albert Bridge - surrealist wildlife animal oil painting- modern art

2025

Humpback whales flying over the streets of New York City and a house packed with pink flamingos are the types of fantastical imagery one can find in the paintings by Irish artist Nathan Neven. Inspired by the isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, his recent work blends art styles and ecosystems to create lighthearted juxtapositions full of joy and teeming with life.

Neven knew at a young age that he wanted to become an artist. He spent much of his youth in Ireland, drawing and painting what he observed. Over time, and largely self-taught, he developed a mix of realist and abstract styles. He later moved to Paris in pursuit of improving his drawing and painting skills in a formal setting. He also spent time traveling in Europe, which greatly influenced his depictions of interiors and cityscapes, which feel alive with color and detail even without the wildlife settling in. 

Neven has had multiple solo shows in Japan as well as group shows in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland. Neven exhibited his work in France at the Galerie De La Vague à l’Art in La Baule in 2017 and the Galerie Cantele in Honfleur in 2018. The Montenotte Hotel in Cork, Ireland, invited Neven to be its 2022-23 Artist-in-Residence, which, associated with the Gallery Kinsale, resulted in Neven’s “Wild Life Invited” exhibition of animal portraits.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Nathan Neven’s vibrant paintings.