About The Artist

Nat Berhe (b. 1991) is an American painter whose work spans the space between abstraction and psychological figuration. Based in Southern California, he builds his paintings through dense layers of oil and texture, creating surfaces that feel emotional, physical, and deeply lived-in. His practice explores themes of identity, memory, and transformation through a visual language rooted in movement and intuition.

Berhe previously spent several years as a professional NFL safety, an experience that contributes to the strength, discipline, and physicality present in his artistic process.

In 2025, Berhe’s work was featured in the Sasse Museum of Art for the exhibition Colorstraction: A Personal Perspective, a curated showcase examining modern approaches to color, abstraction, and expressive form. The exhibition marked a significant milestone, placing Berhe’s work alongside a diverse range of contemporary abstract artists.

His paintings often merge abstraction with ghostlike or distorted figures, suggesting the human form without relying on traditional representation. Tension is a defining element—chaos against order, clarity against obscurity, resilience against vulnerability. Texture functions as both a barrier and an unveiling, echoing layered histories and internal landscapes.

Color plays a central role in shaping the psychological tone of his work. Vivid or clashing hues meet muted backgrounds, creating chromatic friction that heightens emotional resonance. This balance between expressive color and heavy texture positions his work within the legacy of post-war abstract expressionism while maintaining a distinctly contemporary sensibility.

Berhe’s development as a painter is self-directed, driven by experimentation and a personal, intuitive relationship with material. Each canvas acts as a site of reflection and excavation, inviting viewers into the emotional terrain embedded within the work.

Berhe continues to expand his practice, exhibiting in growing contemporary spaces and establishing a strong presence among the new generation of American abstract and expressionist painters. His work is recognized for its visceral movement, emotional depth, and the unmistakable force carried through every layer.