His education, professional experience and developed gifts have made him one of the worlds premier contemporary metal artists of our day. Upon completion of high school, Nicholas enrolled at the University of Cincinnati's school of Design Art Architecture and Planning. During the first 2 years of college he studied Fine Art and Art History with an interest in abstract art, oil pastels and interior
architecture. As his passion for math and science grew, he shifted his studies from art to engineering, finishing college with a bachelor's degree in materials engineering and a master's degree in metallurgical engineering. His subsequent career led him to researching superconductivity applications for directed high-energy weapon systems as he interned and worked for the United States Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB. It was at this time that Nicholas first experimented with sheets of aluminum: cutting, bending and grinding patterns into them. Within just a few days of this initial experimentation Nicholas built a custom triptych of ultra-modern, heavily ground aluminum panels to use as the focal point of his redecorated living room. His friends and relatives marveled at the creative minimalist appearance and uniqueness of the artwork. The overwhelming response inspired him to build several more wall-hanging abstract metal sculptures, which put him on the path to the development of his remarkable abilities. As he continued to create wall panels he began experimenting with freestanding sculptures as well, combining unique cuts, colors, bends, curves and finishes to bring the metallic structures to life. With all of the fine detail, creative structure, precise symmetry, and contemporary appeal that has become synonymous with Nicholas’s artwork, the most impressive, defining element of Nicholas’ work is the 50+ unique, signature grind patterns that really give his work the “Wow” factor. He has perfected a wide range of transparent coatings to allow these grind patters to be seen through a spectrum of colors, creating an indescribable holographic effect. As his collection grew and storage space dwindled, he decided to begin selling off a lot of his work. The subsequent success and demand for more began to pull his attention from his engineering career toward a full focus on artwork. Nicholas left General Electric Aviation in 2008 to pursue his professional career as an abstract metal artist. This career move has allowed Nicholas to spend much more time designing and creating his artwork. In 2010 he built a 3500 sq-ft fabrication studio and gallery where he creates large and small-scale designs, including fully-customized metal art, abstract clocks, architectural wall and door treatments, custom artisan business signs and logos, and much more. Nicholas is currently living in Cincinnati and working full time out of his studio. In 2015 Nicholas opened the Yust | Gallery in the Columbia Tusculum neighborhood. His work is exhibited at top fine art and craft shows across the United States, and recently debuted in Europe. Nicholas has been commissioned to create large scale corporate artwork and sculpture for many fortune 500 companies and multiple government agencies including the DOE and DOD. In addition, his work has been commissioned for television and movie sets including NBC, SYFY, A&E, FYI and ABC. Although the largest concentration can be found in the United States, Nicholas currently has collectors in over 40 countries with an extensive following in Europe and Australia.
