Interview with: Nyll Axis
March 2026
Welcome Nyll Axis, first tell us about your background and why you chose to pursue this career. Do you remember the first artwork that stirred something inside you?
I do not have a formal art degree, but visual art has been part of my life since childhood. In that sense I never consciously chose this path. I have simply always been involved with visual expression in one way or another. Over the years I went through long periods of working with oil paint, acrylics, and pastels, and for more than twenty years I have also worked with computer graphics.
Some of the first works that made a strong impression on me were the paintings of René Magritte and the graphic worlds of M. C. Escher. Over time that list of influences has expanded and changed considerably, but those early encounters were important because they showed me that images could question reality rather than simply describe it.
How would you describe your artistic practice? What are the recurring elements, themes, and concepts you refer to?
I see my practice as a ritual, both psychological and spiritual, requiring a balance between a meditative approach and something close to automatic writing. Many of the images that appear on canvas feel almost obsessive to me, as if they insist on being repeated and re-examined.
Visually, the work often blends classical and shamanic sensibilities. A recurring vocabulary appears: anthropomorphic forms, columns, arches, passages, and symbolic structures whose meanings remain open or infinite. These elements function less as illustrations and more as fragments of an internal architecture through which perception and consciousness can be explored.
Does spirituality or a connection to something larger than yourself influence your creative process? My work grows out of spiritual and philosophical inquiry and the experiences that accompany it. As an artist, my role is simply to translate those experiences into a visual form. I can imagine spirituality existing without art, but I find it difficult to imagine meaningful art without some connection to larger philosophical questions. For me, artistic practice becomes a way of approaching those questions through images rather than through theory.
How important is it for viewers to understand the intended message of your work? Does ambiguity add value, or do you seek clarity in your expression?
I tend to think of my paintings in the same way I think about phenomena in the world around us. A natural phenomenon can be analyzed and interpreted, but it can also simply be observed. Regardless of the interpretation, it continues to exist on its own terms. I approach my paintings in a similar way. They do not demand a single explanation. Clarity can certainly be found in them if someone chooses to look for it, but it is equally possible to experience them without interpretation, simply as a presence or a situation.
What are some references you draw upon in your work? Are there any themes in particular that you like to focus on when creating?
I am particularly interested in experiences that occur at the edge of perception, moments that seem almost visible yet remain just beyond clear interpretation. It is often at these boundaries that forms and images begin to emerge. I sometimes think of this approach as a kind of controlled mysticism. I am drawn to a certain controlled strangeness. The desire to control and structure images is probably my neurosis, while freedom and chaos remain my aspiration. Somewhere between those two forces, the images begin to take shape.
We are at the end of this short interview. Would you like to add something about your artistic research? How did you find the collaboration with our gallery?
As an independent artist, I appreciate that spaces like Florence Contemporary Gallery exist. Platforms that allow artists to present their work without forcing it into rigid frameworks are very important. For me, exhibiting the work is also part of the creative process. When the paintings enter a public space, they begin a different kind of dialogue with viewers. My collaboration with FCG has been a positive experience because the gallery offers artists a high degree of freedom while supporting diverse artistic approaches.