Nic Joly

Capturing his trademark wit and attention to the intricacies of human experience, Nic’s three new artworks are a mix of his personal favourites and those of his collectors. This latest instalment of The Next Chapter not only honours Nic’s pride in his art to date, whilst heralding the creative potential ahead of him, it celebrates the shared admiration between Nic and his audience.

Nic Joly, sculptor of exquisite miniature masterpieces, celebrates ten years with Castle Fine Art with a forward-looking new collection. In The Next Chapter, Nic has produced a new collection of original pieces, with reimagined and finessed references to past works, intermingled with new concepts. For the first time in over half a decade, Nic has created brand new ‘book pieces’ and interpreted literary classics with his own unique gaze, conveying powerful narratives and emotions through his exceptional eye for humour, irony and beauty.

The works invite viewers to lean in closely, encouraging an intimate connection and a deeper appreciation of Nic’s artistry. Whether it's capturing the essence of a fleeting moment, reimagining historical scenes or interpreting fictional scenes, Nic possesses a unique ability to communicate with subtlety and finesse.

In his artworks Nic challenges conventional notions of scale, transforming the mundane into the extraordinary, and creating an entire universe within the palm of his hand. It invites viewers to pause, ponder, and marvel at the astonishing world of small wonders, reminding us that beauty and creativity can be found even in the tiniest of details.

Nic’s artistic expression invites the viewer into his world of minute details and exquisite craftsmanship. In this diminutive realm, Nic transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, breathing life into tiny forms that command attention and spark imagination.

Though Nic’s heart is still with those ‘little people’, he has been secretly working on a private passion project since 1997, and he’s now ready to reveal it to the world. The Hands On collection has been named in honour of his roots from his former life as a carpenter and In many ways, this work is Nic revisiting and reflecting on his former self and bringing the experience and skills of those early years into the present.

Hands On is a standalone collection that includes both wall-hanging sculpture and 3D sculpture. Throughout the body of work, Nic has used an ink stamp of his own miniaturised hand to create mazes, trees, waves and even a picture of our planet. Nic has a specialist understanding of woodworking, joinery and carving, which he has utilised to great effect in this new collection.

Hands On utilizes a contemporary colour palette inspired and complimented by the natural hues Nic has used throughout the body of work. The palette consists of black and white with strikes of a blue especially mixed and developed by Nic. As well as a thoughtful colour palette, the materials and textures have been carefully considered throughout the collection. The simple and striking nature of the pieces is contrasted by the highly polished bronze figures meticulously positioned and interacting with the 2D elements of the work.

Nic Joly is a true artist and craftsman, whose artistic career was born in a stained glass and metal workshop. Inspired by the heavily-populated and deeply human work of Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel, the former furniture designer explored his own unique style and began to create his tiny figurines.

Nic, who studied at the Winchester School of Art, was initially creating these tiny theatrical figures and scenes for his children, crafting them and placing them around the house for them to find. He was still working as a furniture designer and maker as his full-time job, so Nic would literally carry the tiny figurines round in his pockets so he could work on them at any available moment. He later bought a shop where Nic was selling his own designed and made furniture, then also started selling his art, which flew off the shelves, and his full-time art career was born. He is a great student of the human condition, and is unafraid to tackle life’s difficult subjects head-on.

Nic has made pieces about mental health and the unsettling times of the Coronavirus epidemic, but is equally at home making fun and heartfelt sculptures about love, friendship and the connection we feel to each other; the main topic of the Hands On collection. Nic’s openly emotional pieces make a huge connection with his many collectors, who often tell him what they mean to them. “It’s really humbling to hear that my art touches people’” Nic says.

British sculptor Nic Joly has brought his signature warmth and wit to two new limited edition pieces spreading the message of love for Valentine’s Day 2023. As ever, they feature his minutely-detailed miniature figures and laser-cut graphics, contained in hand-crafted boxes; ‘Play On’ and ‘Heart Beat’ are original and emotional ways of expressing your feelings on 14 February.

Following on from Nic's successful launch of the powerful collection in mid 2022, that saw him create bold word-based wall sculptures including 'Love Life', this release harnesses more symbolic representations of life through intricate figures and scenes. A lone astronaut in space, a man and woman stranded on an island, and a couple atop a boat on a rocky sea.

The result is a series of bold, colourful and exciting miniature wall sculptures that also portray relatable, heartfelt messages. More personal than ever before, the 'lessons' behind these works are inspired by Nic's own experiences, providing an unprecedented and intimate insight into the life of the artist as well as instilling the pieces with heartening depth and authenticity.

The new 65 Weeks release is the British sculptor's most intimate and ambitious series to date. A personal sketchbook of the weeks following Boris Johnson's announcement of a UK lockdown, the 3D wall sculptures were handmade in his Hampshire studio, making each one unique.

Featuring his signature miniature figures, the small-scale works boast handwritten elements and intricate details, including hand-cut tissue paper and replica mobile phones. Available in an extremely limited edition of just 65, they are both humorous – including a raunchy sex scene and the toilet paper panic-buying fiasco – and poignant, exploring Nic’s struggle with depression and the love he feels for his wife and children.

Nic, who has also created an NHS-inspired artwork, says: “When we all woke up on 23rd March 2020, none of us could really understand how our whole world was about to change forever. We were all suddenly given a focus, a spotlight in our lives and the world we live in. I wanted to do something hopeful. Smiles are far more contagious than any virus will ever be.”

Featuring a heart-warming scene that showcases the compassion of healthcare staff, this handmade 3D wall sculpture carries the message 'Who Cares Wins', which is a play on the SAS motto 'Who Dares Wins'. With hand-sprayed lettering and Nic's signature miniature figures, this limited edition artwork is available in an edition of 2020 to mark this historically significant year.

From the sale of each artwork, £50 will go to NHS Charities Together, which is the official national charity partner of the NHS, and £50 will go to The Murray Parish Trust, which is dedicated to the advancement of paediatric emergency medicine.

This exciting chapter in the visual narrative of Nic Joly harnesses the public candour of street art within the refinement of fine art. Balancing stylised subtlety with bold statements, Nic once again delivers his recognisable punch of humour. Much like the graffiti we walk past on a daily basis, Nic uses the art that hangs on the walls of his collectors’ homes to bring his message into the public forum. It is both a means of broadcasting the lessons he’s learned and a constant affirmation to stay busy and keep positive.

British artist Nic Joly has raised over £80,000 for The Royal British Legion through sales of 'Never Forgotten'. From the sale of each piece, Castle Fine Art will donate £100 to the charity to help Nic reach his goal of raising £150,000 to help support veterans past and present.

Drawing on the ultimate symbol of remembrance and hope - the poppy - the signed, limited edition miniature sculpture was released in August 2014 ahead of the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. The edition size of 1566 represents each day the war was fought, and each sculpture is labelled on the back with a unique piece of information about that day.

Standing less than two inches high unframed, the tiny figures have touched the hearts of people around the world, with Nic receiving letters of thanks from as far afield as Canada, New Zealand and Japan.