About

Niki Lederer was born in London, Ontario, and raised in Vancouver. She received her BFA from the University of Victoria and her MFA from Hunter College in NYC. Solo presentations of her sculpture include Kino Saito, Verplanck, and Catskill Art Space in Livingston Manor, upstate New York.

Group exhibitions in NYC include White Columns and the Bronx Museum of the Arts. Venues outside of NYC include Wassaic Project and Terrain Biennial in Newburgh. Internationally, Niki has exhibited in Groningen, The Netherlands, and Hamburg, Germany, with solo exhibitions in Canada at Open Space, Victoria, and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.

Niki was a Brooklyn Navy Yard Visiting Artist, Brooklyn, NY, and has received a Papermaking Scholarship from Dieu Donné, Brooklyn. Niki’s work has been featured in The Brooklyn Rail, Toronto’s Globe and Mail, and The New York Times, among others. Her sculpture has been published in Die Verschränkung von Kunst und Nachhaltigkeit (Wabl, Ans), as one of five featured artists exploring art and sustainability.

Niki collaborated with XAOC Contemporary Ballet for Norte Maar’s CounterPoint8 and was selected to exhibit in RE:GROWTH, A Celebration of Art, Riverside Park, and the New York Spirit, A Public Art Exhibition Produced by the Riverside Park Conservancy, curated by Karin Bravin. Last summer, she was awarded a Lewes Public Art Commission, which brought her large-scale sculpture to Canalfront Park in Lewes, DE. For summer 2027, Niki will present a temporary public art commission at Hillel Place Plaza, Brooklyn, NY with NYC DOT Art in partnership with the Flatbush Nostrand Junction BID.

Niki lives and works in Brooklyn and Newburgh, New York.

Statement

Discarded and found objects are my starting point. I make sculpture from repurposed umbrellas and post-consumer plastic that I harvest from curbside recycling, garbage cans and the street. I find the colors intoxicating, I can’t resist collecting them. The sheer volume of recyclables and broken umbrellas creates and endless and overwhelming supply of material. 

Back in the studio I process my finds by thoroughly cleaning them and removing all branding on the bottles and armatures from the umbrellas. Then I dissect these materials so that I can reconfigure them to make sculptures. The ease of assembly enables spontaneity and lends a playful quality to the work.

The umbrellas become flags, pennants and banners, ranging in scale from diminutive to heroic. The bottles become organic clusters and others flat forms. The smallest sculptures are suspended with monofilament line—light and buoyant, they gently sway as viewers pass by. Self supported sculptures stand at human scale, with concealed interior armatures. The largest pieces range from 10 to 30 feet long, winding their down unseen ropes like synthetic vines in vibrant colors.

I seek to draw the viewer’s attention back to these discards—to take a moment to notice how wonderful they are. By bringing attention to those materials I also hope to suggest a humorous approach to the futility of mass consumption of material resources in contemporary life.

—Niki Lederer

Artist Niki Lederer, wearing a dark blue top with a colorful patterned collar and a statement necklace, standing in front of a brightly colored, geometric mural on the wall.

Resume

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Solo & Two-Person Exhibitions

  • Reclaiming Remnants, Catskill Art Space; installation on Pearl Street, Livingston Manor, NY
  • Reconfigured, Pelham Art Center, Pelham, NY
  • Fluid Forms in Green, Yellow and Blue, The Quogue Library, Quogue, NY
  • Found Color, 337 Project Space, Grand Rapids, MI
  • Fantastic Brickplastic, Stantec Window Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
  • Dogtown, Melville House Publishing, DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY
  • Dog Show, Washington Square Windows, New York University, New York, NY
  • Dog Show, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
  • Shoes, Washington Square Windows, New York University, New York, NY
  • Garden State, Open Space, Victoria, B.C.
  • Up Against the Wall, Rogue Gallery, Market Square, Victoria, B.C.

Group Exhibitions

    • Color Wheels, Callisto Farm, upstate Art Weekend, High Falls, NY
    • Hey, Friend, Stony Kill Studios, Upstate Art Weekend, Kerhonkson, NY
    • Plastique, Opalka Gallery, Albany, NY
    • In the End, Everything Gives: Women Sculptors Group Exhibition at Silver Art Projects, curated by Sarah Walko, Silver Art Projects, New York, NY
    • The 55th Anniversary People's Flag Show, Judson Memorial Church, New York, NY
    • Terrain Biennial, Newburgh, NY
    • The Art of the Educator, MoMA, The Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building, New York, NY
    • Slapstick, Ball & Socket Arts, Cheshire, CT
    • Plasticulture: The Rise in Sustainable Practices with Polymers, SVA Galleries, 601 W 26th St, New York, NY
    • GlenLily Grounds 2024, outdoor sculpture exhibition organized by Lacey Fekishazy, Newburgh, NY
    • Travelers, Liars, Thieves, Garrison Art Center, Garrison, NY
    • Terrain Biennial, Safe Harbors Green, Newburgh, NY
    • Summer Camp, Lexington House Gallery, curated by Jill Benson, Lexington, NY
    • Knickerbocker Ice, sculpture featured in 2023 Spring Opening on the grounds of Kino Saito, Verplanck, NY
    • Homespun: Hudson Valley Artists 2023, Karlyn Benson, Curator, The Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY
    • Art in Odd Places 2022: STORY, September 23–25, 14th Street from Avenue C to the Hudson River, New York, NY
    • The Material, The Thing: Hudson Valley Artists 2022, Nicole Hayes, Curator, The Dorsky Museum, New Paltz, NY
    • Upstate Art Weekend, guest of Melissa Dadourian, Open Studio, Woodstock, NY
    • Radius 50, Curated by Jayne Drost Johnson, Woodstock Artists Association & Museum, Woodstock, NY
    • Fantasy: Mohonk Arts Invitational, Upstate Art Weekend, High Falls, NY
    • Houston, We Have a Problem, curated by David Packer, Chashama, New York, NY
    • RE:GROWTH, A Celebration of Art, Riverside Park, and the New York Spirit!, Riverside Park, New York, NY
    • Now, more than ever, Wassaic Project’s 2020 Summer Exhibition, Wassaic, NY
    • CounterPointe8: new dances by women choreographers and their collaborating artists, Brooklyn, NY
    • Portal: Governors Island, Governors Island, NY
    • Scavengers, Brooklyn Fireproof, NY
    • Wreath Interpretations Exhibition (36th Annual), Arsenal Gallery, Central Park, NY
    • Brooklyn Navy Yard Visiting Artists, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Building 92, Brooklyn, NY
    • Civil Discourse, Kibbee Gallery, Atlanta, GA
    • Manic Episode 6, The Urban Hive, Sacramento, CA
    • Temporary Allegiance (Philip von Zweck’s project), Knockdown Center, Queens, NY
    • RECYCLE 2018, Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Brooklyn, NY
    • NYC Trash! Past, Present, & Future, The City Reliquary, Brooklyn, NY
    • Case Studies, Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ
    • Open (Call): Truth, BRIC House, Brooklyn, NY
    • It’s Happening! Celebrating 50 Years of Public Art in NYC Parks, Central Park, NY
    • Creative Climate Awards, Human Impacts Institute, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, New York, NY
    • Manic Episode 5, Ely Center for Contemporary Art, New Haven, CT
    • Open Duality: Glimpses of the Other Side, Islip Art Museum, Brooklyn, NY
    • Bigger, Bolder, Better, Chashama, 470 Vanderbilt, Brooklyn, NY
    • Miniscules, Galerie Badweg 3, Bosward, The Netherlands
    • Governors Island Art Fair, Governors Island, NY
    • Jay Invitational of Clay, Notre Maar, Jay House, Jay, NY
    • Outdoor Sculpture Biennial, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
    • Portal, Federal Hall National Memorial, New York, NY
    • Objects Jump Sideways, SiTE:LAB, Art Downtown, Grand Rapids, MI
    • Everyday Redefined, Corridor Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
    • Governors Island Art Fair, Governors Island, NY
    • Kingston Sculpture Biennial (KSB), Kingston, NY
    • MAKING HISTORY Exhibition & AIB 2015 Benefit, StoreFront Ten Eyck Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
    • Between a Place & Candy: New Work in Pattern and Repetition and Motif, 1285 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY
    • Fantastic Brickplastic, Stantec Window Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
    • Manic Episode 3 remix, T.A.S (Temporary Art Space), Groningen, The Netherlands
    • Emerging Artists, ILLE Arts, Amagansett, NY
    • Crest Hardware Art Show, Crest Hardware Store, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
    • NURTUREart Benefit Exhibition, jury; Kianga Ellis, Charlotta Kotik, Lawrence Rinder, Herb Tam, Charles Bank Gallery, NY
    • Manic Episode 3, Internationale Sonderausstellung, Künstlerhaus Dosenfabrik, Hamburg, Germany traveled to Internationale Kunstaussteellung, Hamburg, Germany
    • MANIC Episode 2: Hit By The Eidolon, Brickhouse Art Gallery, Sacramento, CA, traveled to Reynolds Gallery, Jeanette Powell Art Center, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA
    • Manic Episode 1, Hartford ArtSpace, Hartford, CT
    • Come Up To My Room, Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, Ontario
    • De Boerderij, Onderdonk House, Ridgewood, NY
    • Pillow Talk: small comforts in hard times, Ruth Bachofner Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
    • Nightlites, Sabina Lee Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
    • No Money Down, Gallery Aferro, Newark, NJ
    • Drawn, Leadbased, Brooklyn, NY
    • Warm Worlds and Otherwise, Krasdale Galleries, White Plains, NY
    • Death in the Studio, Artist book project with Hannes Priesch, Art Metropole, Toronto; Secession, Vienna; Printed Matter, New York, NY
    • Knock-Off, Or Gallery, Vancouver, B.C.
    • Outer Boroughs, White Columns, New York, NY
    • Size Matters, Gale Gates, Brooklyn, NY
    • Projects ‘99, Carriage House, Islip Art Museum, Islip, NY
    • Scale, Rudolph-Poissant Gallery, Houston, TX
    • The Glass Isle Revisited, SOIL, Seattle, WA
    • Measures of Scale, Forest City Gallery, London, Ontario
    • Prop Fiction, White Columns, New York, NY
    • A.I.M. Artist in the Marketplace Exhibition, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY
    • Crest Hardware Show, Crest Hardware Store, Brooklyn, NY

Public Art & Commissions

    • Hillel Place Plaza, Brooklyn, NY. NYC DOT Art in partnership with the Flatbush Nostrand Junction BID
    • The Lewes Parks and Recreation Commission, Lewes Public Art Committee, Lewes, DE.
    • Finalist, The City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs Percent for Art Program

Grants, Awards

    • Papermaking for Art Educators Scholarship, Dieu Donné, Brooklyn, NY
    • Urban Glass Merit Based Scholarship, Urban Glass, Brooklyn, NY
    • Urban Glass Merit Based Scholarship, Urban Glass, Brooklyn, NY
    • Travel Grant, Graduate Investment Program, Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY
    • A.I.M., Artist in the Marketplace, Program Participant, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY
    • William Graf Travel Abroad Scholarship, Hunter College, Brooklyn, NY

Artist Residences & Visiting Artist

    • Foundation House, Greenwich, CT
    • Brooklyn Navy Yard Visiting Artist, BLDG 92, Brooklyn Navy Yard Center, Brooklyn, NY

Publications

    • Plasticulture: The Rise of Sustainable Practices with Polymers, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
    • Now, more than ever. 2020 Summer Exhibition, Small Editions, Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY
    • Dream Closet, Matthew Burgess, Secretary Press, New York, NY
    • Die Verschränkung von Kunst und Nachhaltigkeit, Ans Wabl (Herausgeber), edition keiper (Verlag)

Press

  • Times Union, “Turning Plastic Waste Into Inspiring Art”, (paywall), William Jaeger, April 5, 2026
  • Art Spiel, “Travelers, Liars, Thieves at Garrison”, June 6, 2024
  • The New York Times, “Art Blooms Alongside Nature in Riverside Park”, Hilarie M. Sheets, June 22, 2021
  • Artnet News, “NYC Trash! Past, Present, & Future” at the City Reliquary, Sarah Cascone, September 3, 2015
  • The Brooklyn Rail, “Artseen: between a place and candy: new works in pattern+repetition+motif”, Kate Liebman, June 2015
  • The Globe and Mail, Style Section, Janette Ewen, February 8, 2008
  • Artweek, “NightLites” at Sabina Lee Gallery, Annie Buckley, March 2006
  • LOLA, Issue 11, Kristine Harrington, Winter 2001–2002
  • The Canadian Jewish News, Arts & Travel, Sheldon Kirshner, August 2001
  • The Globe and Mail, Weekend Review, Gary Michael Dault, August 2001
  • NOW Magazine (Toronto), Art, Deirdre Hanna, August 2001
  • NYARTS Magazine, “Studio Visit: The Strange World of Niki Lederer”, Aline Duriaud, June 2001
  • The New York Times, Sunday, L.I. Edition, “In Islip, Experimentation and Installation”, Helen A. Harrison, February 1999
  • The London Free Press, Arts, Section C, Sandra Coulson, December 1997
  • Victoria Times Colonist, Entertainment Section Preview, Adrian Chamberlain, December 1997
  • Victoria News, Weekend Edition, Entertainment Section, Dave Clements, December 1997
  • The New York Times, “Art in Review”, Roberta Smith, February 1997

Artist Talks

    • Travelers, Liars, Theives, Margaret Lanzetta, Niki Lederer & David Packer, Garrison Art Center, Garrison, NY
    • Humble Materials, in conjunction with the group exhibition Hudson Valley Artists 2022: The Material, The Thing, The Dorsky Museum, State University of New York at New Paltz, New York, NY
    • Wash, Rinse, Recycle, Repeat, Sustainable Art Speaker Series, OCAD University, Toronto, Ontario
    • Creative Climate Awards, Wasted, Human Impacts Institute, Taipei Economic & Cultural Office, New York, NY
    • Artist Talk, in conjunction with the group exhibition Everyday Redefined, Corridor Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
    • Visiting Artist Lecture Series, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C.
    • Visiting Artist Talk, in conjunction with the exhibition Garden Site, Victoria, B.C.

Education

    • M.F.A., studio art, sculpture, Hunter Colege of The City Universty of New York, NY
    • B.F.A., Honors, visual art, sculpture & photography, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C.