Nick Holly was born in 1968 and brought up in the district of St Thomas in the industrial east side of Swansea, where he still lives. He studied at Swansea School of Art and Design, and shortly after leaving was given his first solo show at the Attic Gallery in 1989. Several solo shows have followed both in Swansea and Cardiff, and more recently he has exhibited in London. His work has been purchased by the National Library of Wales. He has held numerous artist workshops in schools around Swansea and is involved with the local theatre both in acting and set production.

Nick Holly's early work described streets of terraced houses, often set in hillsides, which are typically found across South Wales. Recently, the people who live there have become more prominent in his paintings, portraying the life of the communities who inhabit "his" streets. As his work has developed so has his reputation as a chronicler of the urban and industrial landscape of South Wales. At first sight his painting might seem naïve but the complicated perspectives, the life he gives to the figures, his concern for composition might contradict this assumption.

"My paintings are quite timeless pieces and could be based on the present or the past. People doing everyday things; catching buses, walking to the shops, children playing games. A nostalgic vision, memories of childhood, indeed much of my work is a visual diary of my early years. I paint in acrylic and use a muted palette but add a touch of red, perhaps in a boy's football shirt, to draw you into the picture. Many of my paintings are based around St Thomas where I live. Here the streets seem to tumble down Kilvey Hill towards the docks. I do go further afield, to say the Rhondda Valley, or more recently to Manchester to work where Lowry worked and from whom I have drawn inspiration.

My method is to visit an area with my notebook, make numerous sketches and build up ideas. These drawings I bring back to my studio and develop into paintings. I am not interested in nearby Gower. There is far more for me in the gritty back streets with the children and their scuffed knees and runny noses."