Nadia Yaron: Learn from Flowers

 

'A first spring flower, a transient cloud, or an immersive experience of layers of landscape.' How can these fleeting, abstract moments be captured and made touchable? Isn't it true magic that only an artist can create? Nadia Yaron is a rare artist who makes it come true.

Dancing with a white flower, 2025, Aqua soapstone, afyon white marble, 14.5 x 7 x 5 inches. 

Star Flower, 2025, Birch, limestone, white alabaster 

 

In her sculptures inspired by her daily life in nature-nurtured upstate New York, the ephemeral moments of nature's poetry are reborn with permanent sources: wood, stone, and metal. 

Standing in a unique balance that evokes both freedom and confirmation, her sculptures celebrate the individual beauty of each material, color, shape, and texture. The artist captures not only moments of nature but also infuses her feelings and affection for each subject. We believe this is why Nadia's work is full of fresh energy. 

Thanks to her new exhibition at Maybaum Gallery in SF, we had an opportunity to interview the artist.

 

You live and work in upstate New York and mentioned in your Instagram post "leaving your cave" for your show in SF. We are curious about how you balance the solitude of your creative practice with your life.

 

I have a fairly regular routine that I try to keep to. I have my studio hours which are mostly when my kids are at school 9-3 and when I'm in my studio I try to avoid my phone and emails and texts unless they feel necessary. I usually just put my phone down and make during those hours. I try to keep emails and other work and family related things before 9 am and after 3 pm.

 

Would you describe the natural environment of upstate NY, and how might audiences sense this influence in your work?

 

We are surrounded by 60 acres of horses, hills, trees and the vast sky above us. This is my office view and these are my co-workers and collaborators.

 

Forget Me Not, Cartier grey marble with carrara bianco, marble base, 19 x 10 x 10 inches. 

 

I understand your previous career was in wood furniture making. I'm wondering what drew you to focus specifically on fine, abstract art?

 

My previous career was in design. My partner at the time and I created furniture from salvaged wood and what we called reincarnated furniture. We started making furniture because we couldn't afford to buy our own and wanted something unique to us. This over time evolved into designing interiors and textiles. 

While I do enjoy creating spaces and I still do love to make furniture for my own house I knew that this was just the beginning for me. I always knew that I needed to be an artist but I just didn't know how to get there yet. After about 10 years in design I knew I had to leave and start on my own. I had no idea what that would be but I followed my intuition and forged my own path.

 

When reading about your show at Maybaum Gallery in SF, the phrase "inspired by the wisdom of flowers" caught our eye. Could you share what you mean by the "wisdom of flowers"?

 

Every Spring and Summer and into Fall I have the privilege of observing the natural growth patterns of the flowers. The more I observe them the more I learn from them. The flowers have taught me to better understand impermanence. 

Every week we are blessed with a new type of flower blossoming in abundance and then disappearing until next year. They open up to the world in their full radiance for just a few days and then fall back into the earth every single year. The snow drops, the first flowers to open up in late Winter through the snow they come up as brave pioneers. They teach me to have courage. All flowers are reminders of how precious and fragile life is.

 

Evening Primrose, Black picasso marble, Portuguese pink marble, 11 x 7 x 4.5 inches.  

Portrait of the artist with Cherry Blossom.