THE LURE OF SM
APRIL 2025
Nicolette Mishkan’s work explores the fluid depths of human experience, with a particular focus on the feminine, often depicted through the imagery of mermaids. The Los Angeles-based artist talks about power dynamics, spirituality, and the search for connection. Her works invite viewers to reflect on the complexities of our inner and outer worlds.
Nicolette Mishkan photographed in her studio by Kate Clover.
What were you doing before you started making art?
I worked in fashion, and for a short time, I designed my own swimsuits. In between, I had various random jobs. Eventually, I took on property management so I could set my own schedule. It worked for about ten years, but it was hard.
Swimsuits make so much sense, especially considering your current paintings!
It came from my love for Palm Springs and my fascination with the S&M community, even though I wasn't directly involved. It was a combination of the idea of body freedom, the S&M aesthetic, and this dream I had of living in Palm Springs and relaxing by the pool.
What sparked your interest in the S&M community?
I've always been drawn to the aesthetic, the latex, shiny black leather, metal… I think it’s beautiful. As I learned more about it, I also found it humorous. It's funny to me how some of the fetishes are so unsexy. But I'm most interested in how S&M necessitates a conscious approach to consent, our relationship with our bodies, and power dynamics.
Does it raise awareness of everyday power dynamics?
Absolutely. A dominatrix once told me, 'Every day you're consenting to things; it's about being conscious of what you're consenting to.' We're constantly making choices, and there's no universal 'safe word' outside of S&M. So, when you're aware, you're more likely to choose things you align with.
'Lethe's Harem', 2025, courtesy of the artist.
What led you to make the choice to pursue painting?
It was always in the background, since my mom is a painter and teacher. I remember when she opened her first art classes while I was in elementary school. It was in a building attached to an art store, and that's where I first saw the work of Olivia de Berardinis. She does classic pin-up fashion illustration and she even did pin-up mermaid!
Were you always fascinated by mermaids?
Yes, always and by the siren archetype. I see parallels between the siren and modern women in what I call 'man's dry world.' She's powerful in her element, the water, connected to her intuition and animal side. But on land, she's often depicted as helpless. This archetype appears across cultures, historically linked to fertility or the darker, destructive aspects of the feminine. More recently, she's often portrayed as a girl sacrificing herself for a man or a dangerous temptress. It's very relevant; we still have this fear of women, of empowering them.
They are drinking a liquid that resembles wine. Can you tell us more about that?
Wine holds rich symbolism for me. In Sufism, it is a metaphor for spiritual love and a path to the divine. Across cultures, it has symbolized life force and connection to the sacred. Think of Dionysian cults, where intoxication brought union with the god. In Greek mythology, the river Lethe was said to erase memories. In my paintings, the wine the sirens drink is connected to all these ideas. They drink to forget their disconnection, to release boundaries and reconnect with each other.
'Drowned', 2025, courtesy of the artist.
Does this relate to any personal memory?
When I started this series, it reminded me of my twenties, when I'd go out a lot. The release I got from dancing and music felt spiritual at times. Sometimes I'd feel awful the next day, and other times I'd feel cleansed.
These women are going through a spiritual transformation…
They are in the underworld, a symbolic space for confronting the unconscious which, if ignored, resurfaces subversively. Major life events, like breakups or death, force a stripping away of the self, a necessary breakdown before rebirth. Even my 'moldy' color palette reflects this: like fungus, it's about destruction preceding regeneration.
A place where the body and the mind are connected, is that something you experienced?
Yes, I remember going through a bad breakup and then starting seeing a healer. She helped me understand how different emotions are stored in the body. For example, I've noticed that I tend to curl my shoulders inward, which is a way of protecting my heart. She also linked the posture of women with large breasts to perceived open-heartedness, due to their curvature.
What’s coming up next for you?
I’m really looking forward to exhibiting this new body of work in my upcoming solo exhibition this May in Los Angeles at Megan Mulrooney Gallery. Its owner, Megan, brings a fresh, female-forward vision to the Los Angeles art scene.
'Ritual of Forgetting', 2025, courtesy of the artist.
Text by Lisa Boudet