Nik Christensen
Bromley, Kent, GB, 1973 Works and lives in Amsterdam
Nik Christensen studied at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. In 2011 he was nominated for the De Volkskrant Visual Arts Prize, and was awarded the public’s prize. His work is exhibited in various museum and company collections.
Nik Christensen makes large format drawings on paper in shades of black, white and grey. The works portray apocalyptic landscapes in which trees, plants, fields and forests are confronted with geometric shapes, resulting in a degree of abstraction. The pixelated grids merge with less dense brush strokes, resulting from the rapid method of working that is required by the use of quick-drying sumi-ink. Christensen explores the boundary between organic and mechanic matter, there where the natural world and the virtual world meet. The kaleidoscopic compositions refer on the one hand to the romantic idea of man and nature in search of peace and seclusion. At the same time, the scenes appear ominous. It's as though Christensen’s characters are incarcerated in a visual 'swipe', a transition from one dimension to another.
