Artist Statement
I’m a Chicago based visual artist working primarily in oil paints on canvas. In my artwork I explore human relationships and emotions in an honest and unashamed way.
My monochromatic, realistic figurative paintings investigate the energy and ecstasy of relationships, along with the often inevitable regret, loss, and loneliness.
I paint my subjects in natural candid moments, but as if they are on a stage. I’m interested in mood and posture, the play of light on their skin and clothes, and the shape of their shadows.
In much of my work, colorful words gently collide with the monochromatic people, adding a layer of narrative, context, feelings and cultural references.
Nancy Pochis Bank (PōCHIS) is a Chicago based visual artist. For more than two decades, she has run the Pochis Bank Art Studio, a full-service art studio creating custom murals and other large scale installation artwork for unique locations, products and special events. Over the years her studio has provided artistic gig work for many of Chicago’s young artists who have gone on to successful solo fine art and arts administration careers. She is a recipient of the multi-year Chicago Neighborhood Arts Program Grant for her work as a fine art instructor to seniors in residential homes.
PōCHIS started her professional career in business, earning a BA from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Chicago. In 2000, after twelve years in management consulting with ZS Associates, she turned toward her lifelong passion for painting, enrolled in the Continuing Education Program at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and studied with Chicago artist Ed Hinkley.
PōCHIS founded and manages “Studio 4040” with two partners since 2014. Studio 4040 is a 5000 square foot modern shared studio space in the Albany Park neighborhood with individual studios for 12 fine artists of various disciplines.
PōCHIS is an active arts advocate: she dedicates her time and art skills to benefit her community and raise awareness for a range of social issues through public artworks including five “Cool Globes” raising awareness of solutions of Climate Change. She also serves on the boards of the Woman Made Gallery and Cool Globes.
PōCHIS was recently selected by the Chicago CTA and Lakeview-Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce to create 3 works of public art as part of their Lowline Restoration Project. She was also selected by Selfless for Scott and Lincoln Park High School to design and spearhead a community mural project in the LPHS cafeteria. She is currently working on the North Lawndale Mural Arts Project to bring a “Winwood Walls” type of Mural Art Center to the Ogden Avenue Corridor.
You can see an example of PōCHIS’s mural work at the Embassy Suites Magnificent Mile, where PōCHIS and her team created a block long outdoor mural entitled “Urbs in Horto” just east of Columbus Avenue between Grand Avenue and Illinois Street. You can see examples of PōCHIS’s current fine art at www.pochis.art.
