The Dream Cartography Series
Sometimes, painting feels like the closest I’ll ever get to lucid dreaming. When I look at this series of paintings, it feels like I’m looking into a dreamworld that I visited long ago. Waiting to be uncovered again, waiting for me to find my way through the mess and bramble and crowded thoughts until I discover the forgotten gems.
The Dream Cartography series reflects a turning point in my artistic journey, where I truly began to see my creative voice emerge. I created these 9 paintings in quick succession and knew immediately that they belonged together. They all whisper similar things to me—that the dark is necessary, that change is often messy, but it won’t consume you. There is beauty even in the darkness.
You will not get lost in the liminal. You will find the hidden lights up ahead, ready to guide you.
All works are 7 x 10 inches and $200 each. Discounts available if multiples pieces are purchased!
Want to bring home a piece of the dreamworld? Email nico@nicosakaki.com for any inquiries.
Limerence
long lost and longingall the love in the cosmos
distills into grief
below the ocean floor
lies a piece of the dreamworld
what does the water whisper?
Under the Ocean
Mermaid Current
a murky lagoon
the siren’s call
the waters are dark but
even darkness must fall
these ephemeral beings
carried by the light
be soft, be still, be seen
At First Light
Bold as Hope
where warmth lingers
and i’ve known you since the beginning
despair is easy
hope is soft
fierce
fragile
Fractured Stars
the planets weep and mourn
the stars collapsing
and we gaze up
and wonder
how beautiful destruction can be
Bitter Longing
that deep, existential sadness that almost feels like happiness
full and empty
broken and
completely whole
memories of the apocalypse
fading
as the earth brings itself
back to life
Return
how do i hold this grief?
paint something fierce and beautiful
a survivor’s heart