About

About Me

Biography

I am Nashīnasu, a multidisciplinary artist based in England using my paints and graphite to create intriguing reimagining’s of our world. An artistic style that integrates the historical greats of animation, surrealism, and gestural painting my works of art border between the real and the abstract.

My journey to becoming an artist began as a child. At a young age, I discovered a love of animation, especially the greats like Studio Ghibli and Disney. I began drawing and creating my own worlds of escape. The act of creation became a cathartic space that continues to elevate my mood to this day. My talents began to be recognized by my secondary school teachers at Wallington Boys School who encouraged me to develop my own distinctive artistic practice. I dove deeper into understanding art, developing a fascination with individuals such as Stephen Wiltshire and Salvador Dali.

As my practice grew, I took elements from these foundational influences and combined them with my love of music, anime, and Japanese culture. I went on to receive a Level 2 Diploma in Art & Design from Nescot College and graduate from The Art Academy, London Bridge with a Fine Art diploma and completed their Postgraduate Programme. Today, my work coalesces my past experiences, my love for music and film, and the historical artists and designers who came before as I create cinematic works that challenge us to change our perspectives.

While I continue to grow my practice, my work has already been recognized internationally from the United Kingdom to the United States as well as Japan and South Korea. I have been included in numerous group and solo exhibitions with more on the horizon, I was the runner-up at The Art Academy for the Drawing Prize, and have had my art added to local private collections.

Artist's Statement

Rooted in storytelling, my practice emerges through works that recollect past experiences, iconic images of popular culture that transcend time, and even abstracted formulations of our intangible emotions. While a multidisciplinary artist, working with everything from pastels to photography, my practice centers around my acrylic and oil paintings as well as my use of graphite pencil. Placing these mediums upon a range of materials including canvas, medium-density fibreboard (MDF), and paper, I investigate the world around us.
 
The distinctive style of my practice is the culmination of my love of anime, manga, Disney, Studio Ghibli, and Japanese culture. Artists such as Hayao Miyazaki, Toshio Suzuki, Hiroyuki Morita, Salvador Dali, and Stephen Wiltshire have all imprinted their innovative styles and perspectives onto me as I developed my own illustrative practice that borders between reality and the absurd. Manipulations of color and space reveal vignettes and theatrical glows of light bordering on the cinematic. From my mediums radiates an invisible force beyond our control, unknown yet inspiring hope, though my use of gestural brushstrokes evokes a sense of ceaseless movement and change.
 
My work is an evolution. Each piece is a reflection of myself, an almost autobiographical account of the influx of influences, passions, and interests that resonate with me. In my early works, I adapted an abstracted surrealist style of landscape and still life that today has branched out into experimentations with evocative portraiture and scenes of the everyday. Through this growth, I constructed my signature approach to elevating these scenes with what I refer to as light particles. Inspired by the work of Yayoi Kusama, I delicately insert light particles that heighten the drama and emotional atmosphere. Contrasts of light and dark, emphasized plays of shadows and illumination, obscure our perceptions leaving distinctions vague and open for interpretation. In a body of works teetering between the real and the ethereal, I ask us to question the mysteries of existence, the world, and ourselves.

CV

Education

Born In 1995

Carew Manor School 2007 – 2012

Wallington County Grammar School (Art School) 2010 – 2012

Nescot College, Ewell East Level 2 Diploma Art & Design 2013 – 2014

The Art Academy, London Bridge Fine Art Diploma (Full Time) 2014 – 2017 ​

The Art Academy, London Bridge Postgraduate Programme 2018 – 2019

Bold and Italic* Name of the series that were in each exhibition. ​

^ Non Exhibition

Exhibitions

2023

Group

Tokyo Tower Art Fair, 10th March 2023 – 12th March 2023

2022

Group

Pretty Perv Exhibition 28th September 2022 – 4th October 2022

Group

Guardians Of Dreams Exhibition 28th October 2022 – 3rd November 2022

Group

Guardians Of Dreams Exhibition 28th October 2022 – 3rd November 2022

Group

Brain Cake Exhibition 28th December 2022 – 3rd January 2023

2021

Solo

30 Drawings In 10 Weeks Challenge 13th June 2021 – 13th July 2021

2019

Solo ^

The Christmas Market, 1st December

Solo

“The Forrest Arts Agency Ltd”, 6th July 2019 – 20th July 2019

Group

“Post Graduate Exhibition” Hidden Worlds / My Story Of Events, 8th February 2019 – 14th February 2019

2018

Solo

“My Story Of Events, Late Night Moods And Flashbacks” The Norbury Methodist Church “Bazaar”, 1st December 2018

2017

Group

Constellation Exhibition, 18th December 2017 – 6th January 2018

Group

“Surreal And Imaginary Series”, “Graduate Show Exhibition” At The Art Academy, 5th July – 9th July 2017

2016

Group

`’Sky” “Two Years In” Group Show At Menier Gallery, 21st June 2016 – 25th June 2016

2015

Solo

The Norbury Methodist Church Summer Exhibition, 29th August 2015 – 30th August 2015

Private Collections

2019

“All About Me”, 23rd September 2019 – 18th November 2019

2017

 

“Nescot College”, 11th April 2017 – Present

Clients / Commissions

2017

The Commission Drawing in Pencils

The Easter Sunday Commission in Pastels

2016

Contemporary Artwork for Place Project

The Colosseum Drawing in Pencils

The Colosseum Drawing in Pencils

2015

Norbury Methodist Church drawing in Pencils

The Devon House Drawing in Pencils

The Devon House Drawing in Pencils

2013

Community Cafe Painting in Watercolour Paints.

2012

Norbury Methodist Church Drawing in Coloured Pencils.

Norbury Methodist Church Drawing in Coloured Pencils.

Series Of Assorted Drawings in Pencils and Coloured Pencils.

Press / Features

2015

“Artist Of The Week” – Artistopus Magazine, 9th November 2015 http://artistsopus.com

http://artistsopus.com/uncategorized/artist-of-the-week-nathan-downie/

Awards / Prizes

2015

Joint-runner up in The Drawing Prize at The Art Academy.

2011

Jack Petchey Award For “Outstanding Achiever” for Music and Art.

2011 Art Competition

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