An Awe-Inspiring Conversation with Nicholas Kontaxis
Nicholas Kontaxis is a thriving, self-taught, 26-year-old abstract expressionist artist whose unique passion for life shines through his vibrant paintings with a riot of primary colors. Having landed solo exhibitions in Los Angeles (including a recent sold-out solo exhibition at the renowned UTA Artist Space), Palm Desert, Sun Valley, Chicago, Atlanta, Brooklyn and London, Nicholas’ art has created a platform for him to express himself and tell his own story. He was born with a brain tumor that has resulted in thousands of seizures over his lifetime, atypical motor function, and neurodiversity. His speech is made up of short utterances, which typically become the ingenious titles of his paintings and solo exhibitions, such as: “Blue Giraffes”, “Your Heart Beats Nice”, “Catch Me”. Nicholas has had numerous commissioned works, including the Los Angeles Chargers, Kaiser Permanente Hospitals, and Adidas at Coachella in 2019. His work is breathtakingly stunning, bold, incredibly unique, high in demand, and has garnered international critical acclaim. I had the honor of asking about Nicholas’ vibrant and profound color choice, his process for creating large-scale paintings, and so much more.
Catch Me Medium: Painting Size: 24x36
What does creating art mean to Nicholas, starting with a description for someone who knows nothing about art?
To quote one of the titles of Nicholas' paintings, "Heaven's Real," meaning that miraculous things take place through the creative process.
What is Nicholas' creative process in one word, and why?
In one word? "NOW" (meaning "in the moment"). When Nicholas is creating art, he is in the moment and so very present. He lets go of self-judgment and freely allows the art to speak intuitively.
Breakfast Medium: Painting Size: 18x24
How has art allowed Nicholas to express more light and appreciation for life?
Working with matter makes him matter - Meaning that working with matter— i.e., physical paint, sticks, pallet knives, simple things— gives him a purpose and a vehicle to express himself and share his point of view with others.
Painting has also given Nicholas a platform to tell his story, including his physical struggles, through his own unique voice. His talent and hard work have led to multiple sold-out shows around the country and internationally. Most recently, the United Talent Agency (UTA) Artist Division, under the leadership of Arthur Lewis, selected Nicholas' work for a solo exhibition at the UTA Artists Space in Beverly Hills for the month of June 2022 entitled "Catch Me." He was preceded by Aaron Young's "The Right Way to Do Wrong" and Mandy El-Sayegh's "Units of Measure." This amazing opportunity will offer many others to experience his work in person.
Nicholas’ color choice is so vibrant and profound. How does he select each color? Is it planned before he paints or as he goes?
If it is a commission, it is often planned. For example, when he was commissioned by the owners of the Los Angeles Chargers for their private collection to do a painting of Charger jersey colors through the years, very specific blues and yellows were pre-planned. He has also been commissioned to do a work in black and white, in which four different shades of black and white were pre-planned and uniquely constructed by Nicholas.
The vast majority of the time, he works with a vibrant field of colors surrounding him. Oftentimes, fifteen to thirty colors will be loaded on plates/palettes/tubes, and he’ll intuitively choose which colors to use as he’s painting.
Birthday Candles Medium: Painting Size: 60x48
What else does Nicholas like to do other than create art?
Nicholas loves to spend time with his brothers and extended family. He loves to go to church services and is fascinated by Byzantine mosaic iconography and the unique hymns graphs of the Greek Orthodox Church.
Nicholas is known for his large-scale paintings. How does that process of creating work the best for him?
Nicholas stays on bigger projects for much longer periods of time, so the painting goes on a journey with him in whatever he’s going through during that specific span of time.
Nicholas has worked on specific large-scale paintings for a year or two, working
on multiple paintings at a time, so a lot of these works are moving through much of his life with him, through ups and downs, through two brain surgeries, along with his epilepsy. His paintings carry these experiences; they carry what his hands, eyes, and brain were feeling, affecting the strokes on the canvas and allowing his art to truly encompass his lived experiences, his story, and his perspective of the world around him.
For more information about Nicholas’s artwork, please visit his site. Please give him a like and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
