About
Art isn’t something I make. It’s something I tune into. It’s always there—waiting. My job is to listen. To strip away the noise. To get out of the way.
I paint like a musician plays. Feeling first. Intuition over intellect. My best work happens when I surrender to what wants to come through, letting the process guide me rather than forcing an outcome. There’s no right or wrong—only movement, rhythm, energy.
My work is a conversation with color, shape, and space. It’s the residue of freedom. I want the rawness of the experience to remain visible. The layers. The imperfections. The story of how it came to be. If a piece feels too polished, too explained, I break it. Ruin it. Then rebuild it. The real magic happens in that tension—between chaos and control, between destruction and creation.
Food is a huge part of this. The way a perfect bite can transport you, how flavors mix and evolve over time, how a shared meal can create connection without words. My paintings are like that—layers of experience, unexpected combinations, something familiar but new. They hold the essence of a place, a memory, a feeling. The energy of a late-night ramen shop, the comfort of a warm pastry, the electric pulse of a crowded bar, the quiet joy of cooking for someone you love.
At its core, my work is about connection—between people, between moments, between what we see and what we feel. Art, like food, is meant to be experienced. It’s meant to bring us together, to remind us that we are here, that we are alive.
And that’s everything.
Bio
Nino Yuniardi is an abstract artist and designer based in Seattle, WA. His work blends spontaneity and structure — intuitive marks layered with thoughtful composition. Each piece is a quiet conversation between movement, color, and memory, inviting viewers to pause and feel something real.
Born in Indonesia, Nino discovered painting at age 14 as a private refuge — a way to explore what he couldn’t always express in words. That quiet exploration eventually led him into a career in graphic design and user experience, where he spent years shaping visual languages for major tech products in Seattle. Working on fast timelines and big teams taught him discipline, but painting is where he returns to intuition, curiosity, and play.
In 2018, Nino recommitted to his art practice and began building a body of work that reflects the texture of daily life — layered, imperfect, honest. He works primarily with acrylics, pencils, crayons, and pastels, often painting barefoot and rearranging fragments from old sketches to guide his compositions. His approach is organic and rooted in presence, allowing the work to unfold without overthinking.
Nino is the recipient of multiple awards, including 1st Place in the 2020 Art2Life International Juried Art Exhibition, 3rd place in Art Fluent’s 2021 Abstracted Juried Exhibition, and the 2023 Seattle Restored Grant. His work has been featured in publications like Uppercase Magazine, Bold Journey, and Visionary Art Collective, as well as on The Jealous Curator.
He’s been a guest on several creative podcasts and series, including the Art2Life Podcast with Nicholas Wilton (Episode 138), Tap into Your Creativity with Sandra Felemovicius, Artist Conversations with Vickie Marsango, Adele Sypesteyn, Paige’s Podcast, and Jen Tough’s Open Studio.
Nino draws inspiration from food as a metaphor for human connection and differences — for respect, inclusivity, and shared experience. This influence often finds its way into the themes, textures, and titles of his work.
Today, his work lives in collections across the U.S. and beyond. He runs Nino Studio, a gallery space in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, and leads Spice Art Club, an online community where he mentors artists through workshops, monthly challenges, and playful experimentation.
His mission is simple: to help people reconnect with their creative selves — gently, honestly, and with joy. Because for Nino, art isn’t just something to admire. It’s something that meets you where you are, reminds you of who you are, and invites you to keep going.
Education
1997 Art Center College of Design (B.F.A)
1994 Art Institute of Seattle (A.A)
Exhibitions
2025 Pit Stop & On Diet - Nino Studio & Gallery, Pionner Square
2025 The Garden Show - Museo Gallery, Whidbey Island
2024 From My Kitchen - Nino Studio & Gallery, Pioneer Square
2024 Have you Eaten Group Exhibition - Nino Studio Gallery Pioneer Square
2024 Abstraction Group Exhibition - Museo Gallery, Whidbey Island
2023 Seattle Art Fair - Ryan James Fine Arts
2023 Have You Eaten? Group Exhibition - Slip Gallery, Belltown
2022 Seattle Art Fair - Ryan James Fine Arts
2022 Julie Nester Gallery, Park City Utah
2022 Art & Light Gallery, South Carolina
2022 Museo Gallery, Whidbey Island
2021 Leftovers, Ryan James Fine Arts, Belltown
2021 Leftovers - Museo Gallery, Whidbey Island
2021 Leftovers - Art & Light Gallery, South Carolina
2020 Melting Pot - Ryan James Fine Arts, Belltown
2020 Bellevue Arts Museum Annual Gala Auction
2020 Beauty of our Minds - Storefronts, Shunpike Arts Seattle
2020 Space Craft, Seattle
2019 Miro Tea, Ballard
2018 Sugar High, San Francisco. Invitational Group Exhibition
2018 Visual Impressions Juried show Ryan James Fine Arts
2017 Seattle Bureau of Fearless Ideas Auction (Saving Salmon)
2011 Cake Spy (Sugar Rush )
2011 RAW Pulse Seattle at iMusic, Seattle WA (Chaosmatic & Sugar Rush)
2010 Retrofit Home, Capitol Hill WA (Sugar Rush)
2010 The Other Coast, Ballard WA (Sugar Rush)
2010 Trophy Cupcakes Wallingford, Seattle WA (Sugar Rush)
2009 Atlas, Seattle WA (Sugar Rush)
2003 Art With Heart Holiday Shindig Auction, Seattle WA (Rush)
2003 Firehouse Cafe, Ballard WA (Blindspot)
2002 Artemis Gallery, Seattle WA (Rush & Blindspot)
2001 Northwest Asian American Theater RAW Gallery, Seattle WA (Rush)
2000 Atlas, Seattle WA
1999 Coastal Kitchen, Seattle WA
1998 The 1998 Art Fest Gallery, Seattle University
1989 Sanggar Sang Timur, Jakarta, Indonesia
Mentorship
Spice Art Club
Speaking / Collaborations
Art2Life Podcast Episode 138 with Nicholas Wilton: Building Momentum
Artist guest series with Adele Sypesteyn
Paige's Podcast
Artist guest with Vickie Marsango
Tap into your Creativity with Sandra Felemovicius
Open studio with Jen Tough
Intersection of food and life. Collaboration with itsbitesize.com
Publication
Uppercase Magazine #64
Bold Journey: Generosity
Visionary Art Collective
https://thejealouscurator.substack.com/p/art-delivery-042321
Award
Seattle Restored 2023 Recipient
ITSLIQUID Int'l Contest 10th Edition 2021 Art Exhibition in Barcelona
3rd place, 2021 Art Fluent Abstracted Juried Exhibition
1st place, 2020 Art2Life International Juried Art Exhibition
Community Involvement
2023 Oct - May 2024: Seattle Restored Gallery Activation Curator
2020 Panel Juror for Shunpike Storefronts, Seattle, WA
2020 - 2022: Board of Trustees for Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA.
Partial Collections / Collaborations
Silver Sea: Silver Ray Cruise
Nordstrom, Tigard OR
Nordstrom, Bellevue WA
Atlantis The Royal Residence, Dubai
Overlake Medical Center, Bellevue, WA
Amazon.com, Inc. Seattle, WA
Jill Lewis Architecture, San Francisco, CA
Mike Mariano & Grace Kim of Schemata Workshop, Seattle, WA
Rebecca Lyman of The Garrigan Lyman Group, Seattle, WA
Trophy Cupcakes, Seattle, WA
GroupHealth Cooperative, Seattle, WA