Contrary to his previous exhibited work, the male figure now enters Nick Nikolaou’s aquatic playground. When alone, the male figure is often captured in moments of agony and struggle, whereas once he encounters the female form, tension gives way to relief and the sense of drama is replaced with an aura of tranquility. His new work depicts ethereal creatures, emerging from the secret depths of underwater caves, indulging in what seems like ancient rituals with another. The viewer distances himself from the ordinary and the mundane as he gazes upon transcendent figurative scenes of god-like men and nymph-like women who are in perfect harmony with each other as well as with the aquatic environment surrounding them. In other words, the viewer’s immerse themselves in a world as lucid and magical as the world of fantasies and dreams, and ultimately as fluid and mysterious as his own subconscious.
A prolific underwater photographer, Nick Nikolaou completed his studies in fashion photography in London College of Fashion (U.A.L). For many years, he collaborated with famous fashion designers and stylists, in fashion magazines and in the advertising industry. Throughout those projects he has experimented with his art in various ways, but it is the Mykonian underwater photography series that has been identified with his unique artistic style. His work “Aquatic Dreams” has been presented both in Greece and abroad (“Aquatic Dreams”, Thisseion Lofts - Athens, “Into the Blue” Posidonia 2016, The Blender Gallery - Athens and “Liminalities”, Riflemaker Gallery - London).
