Nicholas Blake
The mysteries of our earth and of our mind are often one and the same. Painter and multimedia artist Nicholas Blake manifests these mysteries into a body of work that resembles an entirely new catalog of creatures. Whether it be dragons, fusions of animals, or even his take on mythological beings from cultures around the world, he constructs his own folklore that captivates viewers.
To bring these fantastical creatures and tales to life, he employs vibrant colors in an expressive style that is between the primitive forms of cave dwellings and the rebellious nature of street art in the modern age. His lines, colors, and layers tap into a raw essence of humanity, one not dictated by perfection and realism but rather embracing the chaos of the unknown, the magical, and the surreal.
He invites experimentation, intuition, and spontaneity into his practice. While frequently using acrylics, he also brings in elements of hand drawing with markers or organic flows of spray paint. Predominantly, his work is built upon the canvas, but, as the subject calls for it, he varies his substrates with found materials, such as cardboard, to add texture and play of light.
While some works feel like portraiture, capturing the features and viscerality of his new index of creatures, others are bursting beyond the confines of the canvas. They are densely filled with an amalgamation of forms, marks, and patterns. He creates four-dimensional narratives where all elements exist simultaneously, forcing our eyes to move around the canvas, decoding the unfolding of events.
These are glimpses into Blake’s inner universe. Here, we can discover a sense of wonder, imagination, and truth that still lingers inside all of us.
Nicholas Blake, or Nico as he is also known, has proven that age does not define the artist. Born in 2011 on a barrier island in southeastern North Carolina, Blake knew at a young age that he wanted to pursue the creative spirit that resided within him. Building upon his early skills in drawing, at only 8 years old, he turned to the canvas, developing his technique as a painter. Brush in hand, the freedom and relaxation of painting unlocked new worlds.
His imaginative creations bring together the fantastical elements of nature, culture, and the psyche. His fascination with reptiles that exist on the other side of the world, mythical creatures of ancient cultures, Japanese folklore such as Kaiju, and Greek mythology, among other subjects, all blend together and flow freely from his brush onto the canvas. While developing his own anthology of fables, Blake is tapping into the universal language of art that unites us.
In his short yet flourishing career, he has already had exhibitions of his work with organizations including Galerie Looloolook in Paris, Van Der Plas Gallery in New York, Urban Break in Seoul and Busan, Korea, and Its Ready Space in Indonesia.
