Naes PierottLOVE
May 30 - June 27, 2026
It is impossible to hold onto a memory forever. The images that live in our minds fade and details of events lose their clarity over time. In Naes Pierott’s current exhibition LOVE at CouperRuss, she embraces the ever-changing nature of memory by capturing her loved ones in life-sized cyanotypes that will transform as time passes. The individuals depicted in the suspended portraits and their corresponding personifications share a constant state of change, developing into new versions of themselves, yet their intrinsic spirit remains immortalized in these images.
The cool blue tones inherent of the cyanotypes are counterbalanced with the warmth radiating from the room of figures that are integral to the quilt of Pierott’s life. Her parents, husband, brother, and dear friends are introduced to visitors through her renderings of the way she sees them, wearing clothes that are fundamental to their personal style and posing how they live in Pierott’s mind.
Pierott’s artistic practice began with oil painting and she began experimenting with the cyanotype process in 2022 during her Bachelor of Fine Arts studies. Through testing the way different fabrics hold images, she began researching the way other artists use textiles in art and found inspiration in the artfully assembled Gee’s Bend quilts. Each of the large-scale portraits are systematically pieced together in fabrics made from natural fibers, melding together Pierott’s personal history and the tradition of quiltmaking in the Black community.
The rich indigo dyes and symbols used in resist-dyeing techniques in textiles from Nigeria and Ghana also influenced Pierott throughout her imagemaking process. She incorporated a spiral motif that is printed on traditional fabrics in both of these countries, symbolizing the life cycle that is constantly in motion, moving us through life into realms individuals are destined to find.
The cool blue tones inherent of the cyanotypes are counterbalanced with the warmth radiating from the room of figures that are integral to the quilt of Pierott’s life. Her parents, husband, brother, and dear friends are introduced to visitors through her renderings of the way she sees them, wearing clothes that are fundamental to their personal style and posing how they live in Pierott’s mind.
Pierott’s artistic practice began with oil painting and she began experimenting with the cyanotype process in 2022 during her Bachelor of Fine Arts studies. Through testing the way different fabrics hold images, she began researching the way other artists use textiles in art and found inspiration in the artfully assembled Gee’s Bend quilts. Each of the large-scale portraits are systematically pieced together in fabrics made from natural fibers, melding together Pierott’s personal history and the tradition of quiltmaking in the Black community.
The rich indigo dyes and symbols used in resist-dyeing techniques in textiles from Nigeria and Ghana also influenced Pierott throughout her imagemaking process. She incorporated a spiral motif that is printed on traditional fabrics in both of these countries, symbolizing the life cycle that is constantly in motion, moving us through life into realms individuals are destined to find.
Pierott meticulously embroidered spiral motifs in a complimentary pale yellow thread in areas of each of the portraits, appearing as gilded hair accessories, jewelry, and dimensional details of outfits that the printing process couldn’t document. On the verso of each of the figures is a pattern akin to a unique fingerprint Pierrot ascribed to each of her loved ones. Swirls of rich brown, golden yellow, and an indigo blue nearly identical to the cyanotypes themselves course head to toe, a visual representation of their individual spirit.
- Lauren Vaccaro
Naes Pierott has created life-size images of her family and friends, capturing them in playful and everyday moments. These shaped cyanotypes, suspended in the gallery space mirror the proportions of the individuals photographed to create the sensation that they are physically present. Viewers can interact and walk among the works, fostering a sense of intimacy and connection.
Pierott’s practice is rooted in the Black community. Through quilting, oil painting, and photography, she explores the Black American experience while also making space for other marginalized communities. Her work draws from personal memory, cultural history, and collective storytelling.
Pierott earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2023 and is currently pursuing a Master of Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction, specializing in Instructional Design. Her work has been exhibited primarily in Nevada including at the Donna Beam Gallery and Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art at UNLV, Nuwu Art Gallery, Clark County Rotunda Gallery, Left of Center Gallery, City of Las Vegas Chamber Gallery and Serva Pool Gallery, Holland Project, Reno.
CouperRuss / Las Vegas, NV / May 30 – June 27, 2026
For appointments to view the exhibition at CouperRuss in Las Vegas, email couperruss@gmail.com.
This project has been made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nevada Arts Council.
