Nate Young is an interdisciplinary artist whose work challenges traditional artistic production by engaging with issues of race and racialization. He explores how systems and objects shape beliefs, often addressing theological themes through text, diagrams, and architectural elements. By stripping away specific content, Young creates a universal lexicon of primordial signs—such as arrows, circles, and grids—that suggest meaning while remaining open to viewer interpretation. His meticulously crafted works embody a quiet gravitas, prompting a post-minimalist examination of authority, materiality, and the artist’s role.

Born in 1981 in Phoenixville, PA, Young lives and works in Chicago, IL. He holds an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts and a BA in Visual Arts Education from Northwestern College. Young is an Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago and has participated in notable exhibitions, including those at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and The Studio Museum in Harlem. His work is part of several prestigious collections, including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. In 2021, he received the Joyce Foundation Artadia Award and is currently featured in the group exhibition Like Magic at MASS MoCA.