Biography
In 1950, Nikel moved to Paris to further her education, where she lived and worked for approximately a decade during a significant period in postwar European art history. She was involved in the artistic and social scene of the cosmopolitan city, absorbing the spirit of the times and the dialogue among international artists. From the 1960s, she divided her time between Israel, Rome, New York, and Africa. From 1973 to 1977, she lived in New York, and afterward returned to Jaffa. Later, she built her home in Moshav Kadron.
Nikel was part of the second generation of abstract painters in Israel and became a central figure in shaping the local painterly language. Her works are found in prominent private and public collections worldwide. Her work is characterized by bold use of color, rich textures, and a connection between intuition and materiality. Alongside her canvas paintings, she also created works on paper, etchings, prints, and collages.
Her works were exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at the Tel Aviv Museum, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the Haifa Museum of Art, and at international institutions in Paris, London, New York, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Japan. Nikel represented Israel at the 32nd Venice Biennale (1964) and the Johannesburg Biennale (1995). Her works are held in private and public collections in Israel and around the world.
View the Chronology.
Selected Exhibition History.