Former Hairy Who artist Gladys Nilsson painting mural at Menil Collection

The Menil Collection in Houston presents the seventh installment of the ephemeral Wall Drawing Series. The new work by Chicago-based artist Gladys Nilsson (b. 1940) will open Friday, September 5, at the Menil Drawing Institute.

Nilsson studied painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago before rising to prominence in the mid-1960s, when she and five other recent Art Institute graduates (Jim Falconer, Art Green, Jim Nutt, Suellen Rocca, and Karl Wirsum) presented the first of a series of provocative group exhibitions under the name Hairy Who. The collective challenged the then prevailing artistic trends, such as pop art and minimalism.  

Nilsson is known for her densely layered and meticulously constructed watercolors and collage, populated by casts of bizarre, distorted figures with exaggerated poses that engage in complex webs of interaction. Her crowded compositions are typically marked by deft and fluid lines, candy-colored palettes, humor and playfulness, and a sense of the absurd. Her art draws inspiration from a wide array of sources, from Egyptian art and classical mythology to German Expressionism, Outlier art, and comics. 

Wall Drawing Series: Gladys Nilsson is curated by Edouard Kopp, John R. Eckel, Jr. Chief Curator, Menil Drawing Institute. The Wall Drawing Series began in 2018 as part of the Drawing Institute’s commitment to seeking new approaches to the form and language of drawing. Past participants include Marc Bauer, Mel Bochner, Roni Horn, Marcia Kure, Ronny Quevedo, and Jorinde Voigt. 

About the Artist 

Born in Chicago in 1940, Gladys Nilsson studied painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Since 1966, Nilsson’s work has been the subject of over 50 solo exhibitions, including sixteen at Phyllis Kind Gallery (1970–1979, 1981–1983, 1987, 1991, and 1994, Chicago and New York).

Nilsson is a recipient of the 2024 Anonymous Was A Woman Award. 

About the Menil Collection

Philanthropists and art patrons John and Dominique de Menil established the Menil Foundation in 1954 to foster greater public understanding and appreciation of art, architecture, culture, religion, and philosophy. In 1987, the Menil Collection’s main building opened to the public. Today, the Menil Collection consists of a group of art buildings and green spaces located within a residential neighborhood in central Houston.

The Menil remains committed to its founders’ belief that art is essential to human experience and welcomes all visitors free of charge.

About the Menil Drawing Institute

The Menil Drawing Institute was established in 2008 in recognition of drawing’s centrality in the lives of artists and its crucial role in modern and contemporary artistic culture. The Drawing Institute has since developed an international profile for exhibitions, scholarship, and collaboration.

In 2018, a dedicated building for the Menil Drawing Institute, designed by Johnston Marklee, was inaugurated. It is now the site of regular drawings exhibitions, an annual monumental wall drawing commission, public programs, and study.