About the Artist
Nico Sakaki (they/them) is a queer, non-binary abstract artist and writer living on the traditional, unceded land of the Kanien'kehá:ka Nation—known as Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. With a background in English Literature from the University of British Columbia, Nico’s creative journey began as a writer, weaving stories through prose and poetry. Over time, this love of storytelling and worldbuilding expanded into the visual realm, where they create abstract cartographic works that explore inner landscapes and imagined terrains.
A self-taught artist, Nico has honed their skills through dedicated exploration of abstract watercolour and acrylic painting. Their work reflects a love of experimentation and a fascination with the interplay of colour, texture, and form.
When not painting or writing, Nico enjoys reading speculative fiction and fantasy, listening to music on long walks, and crafting haikus and black-out poetry. They are also an aspiring novelist who dreams of building new worlds across mediums.
My Art Story
I create painted dreamscapes and cartographic art full of magic, movement, and colour. My work has a fantastical and dreamy quality to it, incorporating line work, gestural markings, metallics, and organic forms. Each painting is an opportunity to build a unique world, a portal into another universe—like the ones I grew up yearning to be a part of.
Long before I uncovered my passion for abstract art, my creative journey began solely as a writer. My love of language influences my visual artwork.. Whether it is through prose, poetry, colours, or shapes, I am a storyteller. This is how I seek to understand and engage with a chaotic world—the seen, unseen, and the in-between. My art style also draws on my fantasy genre influences. What happens when we venture into the unknown, into a world where our beliefs are challenged and the walls we had built up dividing the real and unreal are broken down?
As a shy, anxious, and neurodivergent child who often struggled with communication, discovering my love of writing was like discovering a new language—one that came far more naturally to me than speaking. Discovering my passion for art was a similar experience, like being given a new language to express myself. The turning point in my artistic journey began when I started to use art as a means of connection rather than avoidance. The more connected I am with myself, the more I am able to show up fully for others. It is this desire for connection that fuels my art-making.
My approach to art-making is intuitive and emotion-driven—experimentation and play are vital to my creative process. Most often, I am drawn to watercolour. I love the magical quality that comes from the interplay of water and pigment—learning how to guide these two elements rather than control them. I use often iridescent mediums, acrylic paint, and brush pens layered on top. I also use techniques such as scumbling and creating intentional blooms—things typically seen as “mistakes.” Much of my work deals with the balance (and sometimes tension) of opposites. Control and surrender. Flow and structure. Movement and calm. Light and shadows.
Through this breakdown of binaries, my art evokes curiosity, taking you on a journey through a landscape of possibility, curiosity, and wonder.. I hope that the worlds I create offer you the same acceptance and understanding that they have given me.