Nicholas Papadakis

Nicholas Papadakis is a Brooklyn-based artist currently exploring humankind’s relationship with Earth through an ongoing series of transparent sculptures & photographs entitled “Potentialities”.

Papadakis creates transparent sculptures to explore the world of human constructs: objects, ideas, and events. Each artwork visualizes an aspect of the question: what is the value of human experience, and our manufactured lifestyles, as balanced against environmental impact?

These sculptures have a dual existence as photographs that capture singular moments within a site-specific installation.

“I patiently study the play of light and color refracting through the clear objects, I am in search of a transformative moment to photograph - one in which the tangible sculptures are rendered insubstantial and hallucinatory - one in which I can imagine the subject’s past, present, and future - from the ‘a-ha’ moment of inception to it’s faded memory.”

Each photograph becoming a timeless space for contemplating the impact that humans exert upon the natural world - metaphors for the ultimate importance of a healthy planet as a prerequisite for human survival.

Papadakis received an interdisciplinary degree in photography, painting, and design at the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University before establishing himself in Brooklyn, NY.

Recent exhibitions include:

2023 - Dawn of the Wylding - Irondale, Brooklyn, NY (Crtr: Vanessa Walters) immersive exhibition of sculpture, painting, drawing, and artifacts in an experiential dance theater performance.

2023 - Potentialities - Buck Hill Falls, PA (Crtrs: Manny Kivowitz & Colin Gardner)

2023 - Potentialities - The Documentary (Dir. Manny Kivowitz & KSK Studios)

2023 - Recycle 2023 - BWAC, Brooklyn. Award recipient. Curated by John Cloud Kaiser.

2020 - Silver Linings: Clouds in Art & Science - Museums For Laget and University of Stavanger in Norway (Crtr: Vladimir Jankovic)

2016 - ArtSlope - Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Co-Produced a juried sculpture exhibition in Prospect Park in collaboration with ArtSlope Art Festival, Prospect Park Alliance, and the NY Parks Dept.