Nancy Mona Russell
Open Geometry for Emotional Use
August 1 – August 26, 2026
Nancy Mona Russell's paintings live between memory and abstraction. Built from color and shape, they suggest landscapes, fields, horizons, figures, or passing light without ever fully settling into representation. Perception becomes part of the work: forms surface, shift, and give way.
This is Russell's second solo exhibition with Nelson Duni, bringing together a body of new paintings from the past year alongside historical works from the 1960s onward, nearly six decades in one room. Seen together, they show how far her language has traveled and stayed her own.
Open Geometry for Emotional Use reflects on the dance within Russell's paintings between structure and feeling. Her compositions suggest an underlying geometry, yet the works never feel fixed or rigid. Rather than systems to decode, the paintings function as spaces for memory and calm. It’s abstract impression: the emotion of seeing and experiencing.
Big Dream, 2026, acrylic on canvas, 62 x 108 in
Moraine, 2026, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 60 in
Forming, 2026, acrylic on canvas, 36 x 36 in
One of the most striking aspects of Russell's practice is that her paintings are immediately recognizable as her own. She has developed a visual language that is fluid yet structured, intuitive yet deeply resolved. Her use of shape and color create a consistent identity across decades without repetition.
Over a lifetime of painting, Russell has maintained a commitment to abstraction as a living process of experimentation and attention. This exhibition reflects the confidence of an artist who continues to trust intuition, allowing painting to remain exploratory and emotional.
Exhibition Details
Title: Open Geometry for Emotional Use
Artist: Nancy Mona Russell
Dates: August 1 – August 26, 2026
Location: Nelson Duni, 35 Bartlett Street, San Francisco, California
Press Preview: Friday, July 31, 2026, 11 AM – 5 PM and by appointment
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 1, 2026, 4 – 8 PM
Exhibition Programming
Guided Gallery Walking Meditation with Nkechi Njaka
Thursday, August 13, 2026
6:00–7:00 PM
Nelson Duni
35 Bartlett Street, San Francisco, CA
RSVP required, link here.
Join us at Nelson Duni for a guided walking meditation led by multidisciplinary artist and meditation teacher Nkechi Njaka, presented within Nancy Mona Russell's solo exhibition, Open Geometry for Emotional Use.
Moving slowly through the gallery, participants will be invited to experience Russell's paintings through mindfulness, breath, and embodied attention. Rather than discussing the works analytically, the meditation offers an opportunity to notice color, form, memory, and sensation as they unfold in the present moment.
Nkechi Njaka is a practice based researcher, a contemplative artist, choreographer, and meditation guide whose practice explores the ephemerality of relationships— movement, sound, remembering, healing and transformation. Her guided, contemplative experiences have been presented at museums and cultural institutions, including the de Young, YBCA, Kennedy Center, Contemporary Jewish Museum, where she has led meditation programs that encourage deeper ways of engaging with art.
This event is open to all. No prior meditation experience is necessary.
Space is limited. Registration is required.
Artist Talk: Nancy Mona Russell in Conversation with Maria Porges
Sunday, August 23, 2026
3:00–4:00 PM
Nelson Duni
35 Bartlett Street, San Francisco, CA
RSVP required, link here.
Join Nelson Duni for a conversation between artist Nancy Mona Russell and writer, curator, and artist Maria Porges on the occasion of Russell's solo exhibition, Open Geometry for Emotional Use.
Together they will discuss Russell's six-decade painting practice and the role of intuition, memory, and perception in shaping her visual language. The conversation will explore the exhibition's central themes, offering insight into Russell's distinctive approach to color, form, and emotional space.
Maria Porges is an artist, curator, and writer based in Northern California. A longtime contributor to the Bay Area arts community, she has written extensively on contemporary art for publications including Artforum, Art in America, and SquareCylinder. Her thoughtful engagement with artists and their practices has made her one of the Bay Area's most respected voices on contemporary art.
The conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A.
Admission is free. Seating is limited. RSVP required, link here.
Cirque, 2026, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 in