Nick Cave (artist)

Nick Cave (born February 4, 1959) is an American sculptor, dancer, performance artist, and professor. He is best known for his Soundsuit series: wearable assemblage fabric sculptures that are bright, whimsical, and other-worldly, often made with found objects. He also trained as a dancer with Alvin Ailey and often incorporates dance and performance into his works. His later sculptures have focused on color theory and included mixed media and large-scale installations. He lives in Chicago, Illinois, and directs the graduate fashion program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He continues to work on Soundsuits as well as works completed as a sculptor, dancer, and performance artist.

His first career retrospective museum exhibition was at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, May 14, 2022–Oct 02, 2022, and at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, November 18, 2022 – April 10, 2023. He received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the Rhode Island School of Design in June 2022.