Born in Olympia, Nate Clark is a fourth generation Washingtonian of settler ancestry. He received his BFA in photography and painting from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2010. The open spaces and public lands of Northern Nevada profoundly influenced his process. After living in the Great Basin for ten years, Clark moved to Seattle to pursue an MFA in painting and drawing at the University of Washington, graduating in 2018. His work shifted from painting to sculpture during this time; he began tying nets as a means of embodying the mark-making process developed in his paintings. Net-tying relates to a childhood obsession with knitting and crocheting, some of the many crafts practiced with his grandmother.

Clark currently lives and makes artwork on Vashon Island, the traditional lands of the Duwamish, Suquamish, and Puyallup. Nate is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Puget Sound while working as the studio technician for the Art Department. He served as studio assistant to his mentor, the late Denzil Hurley, for many years. Clark’s work is included in the permanent collections of The Sierra Arts Foundation, Nevada State College, The University of Nevada, Reno, Oats Park Art Center, and Isle Royale National Park.