Biography
Nathan Downie, known professionally as Nashīnasu ナシーナス, is a British multidisciplinary artist whose autism-sharpened perception fuels a vivid, anime-surrealist vision. For 14 years he has translated heightened sensory experiences into luminous worlds where animation, gestural abstraction, and disciplined draftsmanship collide. Working chiefly in acrylic, oil, and graphite from his studio in England, Downie re-imagines everyday scenes as cinematic tableaus, encouraging viewers to slip the bounds of ordinary sight and enter states of wonder.
First captivated by Studio Ghibli and Disney films, Downie embraced drawing as a childhood sanctuary. Mentors at Wallington Boys’ School nurtured his precocious talent, while the architectural exactitude of Stephen Wiltshire and the dream logic of Salvador Dalí expanded his visual grammar. Formal training followed: a Level 2 Diploma in Art & Design from Nescot College, then a Fine Art Diploma and Postgraduate Programme at The Art Academy, London Bridge. During the pandemic era he adopted the moniker Nashīnasu, a nod to his deep connection with Japanese culture, and refined a signature language of floating light particles and anime-inspired perspectives.
International recognition has arrived swiftly. Downie’s work has appeared in juried shows across the UK, United States, Japan, and South Korea, earning honours such as the Collector’s Art Prize 2023, Persona Art Honours 2024, and the International Prize PHOENIX 2024. In 2024 he was listed among the Top 100 Influential People 2025, and his paintings now reside in private collections worldwide.
Driven by a mission to champion neurodiversity, Downie crafts each piece as an invitation to celebrate atypical ways of seeing. Through Nashīnasu, he positions autism not as limitation but as a catalyst for transformative art that challenges perceptions, ignites curiosity, and affirms individuality.
Accolades
Artist Statement
My artistic practice emerges from the intersection of autistic perception and cinematic storytelling, where each piece becomes a frozen moment from an imagined film in which I am both director and protagonist. Working primarily in acrylic, oil paints, and graphite on canvas and MDF, I create immersive environments that translate the heightened sensory experiences of neurodivergent consciousness into luminous, dreamlike compositions.
The signature light particles that define my work draw from Yayoi Kusama's "Fireflies on the Water," reimagined through my own lens to evoke the cinematic atmospheres that have shaped my understanding of visual narrative. These ethereal illuminations serve as bridges between the tangible and intangible, manifestations of the unique way autistic minds process light, pattern, and emotional resonance. Each glowing element represents a moment of focused attention, the hyperfocus that allows me to perceive beauty in details others might overlook.
My artistic evolution has been profoundly influenced by the storytelling mastery of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki, whose ability to blend traditional Japanese aesthetics with universal emotional truths resonates deeply with my neurodivergent experience. Like the "floating world" philosophy of ukiyo-e, my work exists in the liminal spaces between reality and surrealism, inviting viewers to experience familiar worlds through an altered perspective. This convergence of anime-inspired narrative structure with fine art techniques creates what I call "autism-positive anime-surrealism", a visual language that celebrates rather than masks neurodivergent ways of seeing.
Through this practice, I challenge conventional boundaries between fine art and animation, between neurotypical and neurodivergent expression, creating works that serve as both personal catharsis and cultural bridge-building. My art becomes a form of visual advocacy, demonstrating that autism is not a limitation to overcome but a unique perspective that enriches contemporary artistic discourse.