You’d be forgiven for thinking that a painting by Arcmanoro Niles could keep you warm on a chilly night. The artist made his name creating domestic scenes and portraits in a palette of teals, reds, pinks, and oranges so deeply saturated that each canvas seems to glow from within, radiating heat. As the critic Seph Rodney writes, Niles makes “oil and acrylic paintings that do something unconventional under the cloak of conventionality.”

The painter’s latest quotidian scenes—including a rare self portrait—are on view at Lehmann Maupin in Chelsea through Aug. 15 with “When There’s Nothing I Can Do: I Go to My Heart.” The Washington, D.C. native created the works at his home in East Hampton, where he has been based since 2022. The New York presentation doubles as a preview for Niles’s forthcoming solo exhibition at Guild Hall next summer. CULTURED caught up with the artist about his strangest studio must-have, his ability to time travel while making art, and why he doesn’t throw anything away.

What’s the first thing you do when you enter your studio? 

I take some time to just sit, look, and be with the paintings in progress.

If you could have a studio visit with one artist, dead or alive, who would it be?  

Either Norman Lewis or Mark Rothko.

What’s the weirdest tool you can’t live without? 

There’s one tool that I use all the time that I didn’t realize was odd, but that I always get a lot of questions about when someone comes to my studio—Q-Tips. The floor is usually covered with them.

When do you do your best work?

I’m a night owl. I do my best work in the late evenings into the nighttime.

Do you work with any assistants or do you work alone?

I work alone, which can be a bit isolating because painting can take so much time. But I really love getting lost in my thoughts and process. There is something a bit freeing and peaceful when for a moment, two or three hours into painting, you can let everything go.

What’s your studio uniform?

I haven’t thought about this before, but funny enough, my studio uniform is partially my old work uniform. I typically wear old t-shirts from past jobs—so a lot of Ben & Jerry’s and Utrecht shirts, plus sweatpants or shorts and some Crocs with socks. The socks are very important.

There are a lot of costs that come with being an artist. Where do you splurge and where do you save?

Materials are very important for me and they always have been—from the materials that go into the construction of the canvas, to the brushes, to the paint. These are things I have always splurged on, because I believe the materials make a big difference, especially when working with vibrant colors. As for saving—I enjoy working from home so for most of my life, my studio has always been in the house. I think I probably save a lot there.

What was the last time you completely lost track of time while working? 

Somehow, I always lose track of time, and at the same time, I’m always surprised when it happens. It’s been this way since I was a kid. I would sit down to draw something in the morning and then next thing I knew, I’d look up and it’d be dinnertime, or even bedtime. I think that’s why I’ve always been drawn to making art—I can do it continuously, all day. I remember as a child, it always felt like time traveling.

Have you ever destroyed a work to make something new? 

Never, except for maybe some things I did for class. Honestly, I’ve kept almost everything, even things I drew in elementary school. When I look back at old work, I remember what it felt like to make and what I achieved. Even if I fall short of what I set out to do, I’m grateful for each painting and drawing.