Caroline Zurmely (b. 1994) is an American artist who lives and works in Dallas, Texas. She graduated with a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2017. Zurmely’s works play on the habitual indulgences of consuming magazine imagery, utilizing nail polish to emulate the glossiness of pages and synergize self-care and artistic production.
Inspired by her use of enamel paint pens at a young age, Zurmely emphasizes on tight closeups of subject matter such as fabrics, handbags, hairstyles, and makeup, detaching them from their wider context. Nail varnish serves as both embellishment and barrier, enhancing a sense of intimacy yet simultaneously conceals. Through her unconventional approach, she aims to transform the viewer’s experience with a respect to distance.
Her paintings are the subject of solo exhibitions such as ‘Soft Smiles’ at T293 Gallery (Rome, 2023), and her work has been included in group exhibitions such as ‘Any Colour You Like’ at Carl Kostyal (Milan, 2023), ‘Oracle’ at de boer (Los Angeles, 2023), ‘Universe 25’ at Gillian Jason Gallery (London, 2023), ‘(It’s My Party) I Can Cry If I Want To’ at Guts Gallery (London, 2023), ‘Apotrope’ at Cob Gallery (London, 2022), ‘Young Sculptors Exhibition’ at the National Sculpture Society (New York, 2022), ‘Circles Without Breaks’ at LIC (New York, 2017), ‘OUT OF ORDER: Painting Senior Show’ at Memorial Hall (Providence, 2017), ‘Painting Senior Show’ at Woods Gerry Gallery (Providence, 2017) and ‘Wet’ (Providence, 2015).
She is the recipient of the Leroy Neiman Foundation Summer Fellowship from the Ox-Bow School of Art in 2016.