Nathaniel Mercer

Nathaniel Mercer (b. 1980) is known for his large-scale sculptures and physical objects that explore the deep connection between heavy city environments and natural plant life.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, Mercer studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago from 2000 to 2004, before moving to New York to complete his master's degree at Columbia University in 2007. Mercer’s early practice focused heavily on traditional wood carving, but soon expanded to include raw concrete, welded metal, and recycled industrial materials.

His work has been the subject of major international exhibitions, most recently in 2025 at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Tate Modern, London. Other prominent institutions that have presented solo shows of the artist’s work include the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2022); the Centre Pompidou, Paris (2019); and the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. (2016).

Mercer’s practice frequently explores how nature survives within human-made structures, creating heavy physical objects that look exactly like living plants. By combining dark steel with raw concrete and natural textures, the artist challenges the viewer's ideas about growth, showing how life can adapt to the harshest industrial conditions.