N.L. mosaic master brings a fragment of the North Atlantic to faraway France

Nicholls, aSt. John's-based mosaic artist,selected a fitting theme to represent the freezing North Atlantic province: ice, and how it affects the wildlife and communities that reside here.

The work is exhibited in the French "city of mosaics," Paray-le-Monial.

While Nicholls focuses on themes that represent the province ice, ocean and rugged landscape his chosen art form is rather uncommon for the province.

Few local artists, he explained, work with mosaics. Nicholls, however, has been doing it for 20 years.

For the past three, he's been working onart pieces for the French exhibition,the first of its kind.

"This is the first time that a country from North America has been invited to exhibit in Europe," said Nicholls.

"It's also, from what I know, the largest exhibit of North American mosaics ever held in Europe. And apparently our artwork is being received very well."

It all started in 2018, says Nicholls, when Ontarian mosaicist Sophie Drouin made a presentation to the International Association of Contemporary Mosaicists,based in Ravenna, Italy.

"They were struck by Canadian art. They had never seen anything quite like it,"Nicholls said.

The exhibition was unveiled in Paray-le-Monial on July 9 and runs until Sept. 19, showcasing the art of 12 Canadian mosaicists from British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec andNicholls, who says he's honoured to be the only artist from Atlantic Canada to claim inclusion in the show, aptly titled From Canada.

The Canadian artists' works are well received in France, according to Nicholls. The Canadian style, he explains, is different from that of European artists;most Canadian mosaicists are self-taught.

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"We're really new to the mosaic scene, seeing that mosaics go back to 3000 BC. And in Europe, they go back to the Romans and Greeks," said Nicholls.

"SoCanadians are new, new, new."

Nicholls's first mosaic was created with floor tile.

"I cut my hands to bits and I said, I better learn about this," he said. "I had to destroy a lot of stuff on the way that wasn't very good."

Nicholls did learn about it, and eventually received two Arts and Letters Awards from the provincial government, in 2007 and 2010.