Niko Bergles

My name is Niko Bergles and I am an artist from Slovenia. I hold a Master's of Fine Arts degree (Lacquer Painting). I've received it in Xiamen, China where I was also the first foreigner in history to study Chinese lacquer painting.

I'm painting women, usually femme fatale, and their spirit animals. A spirit or a power animal is used to represent someone’s skills and character. This practice has been used in Eurasia and in the Americas for centuries or even millennia. Because I like its symbolism I decided to use it in my art and give it a modern twist.

My painting style is a fusion of traditional Chinese art (paintings and woodcuts) and modern western art styles such as Pop Art, Secession and Surrealism. The materials I’m using are the traditional Chinese natural lacquer combined with chemical lacquers. I’m also adding traditional painting mediums such as eggshell, powders, metal foils but also my own materials such as rice, pearls, metal nuts, feathers, insects… The paintings are all made on a wooden panel and are very three-dimensional.

Xiamen University, (China)
Master's in Fine Arts (Lacquer painting)

Faculty of Education Maribor, (Slovenia)
Professor of Fine Arts Education (majored in painting) 2005-2010

Grand Honor Hotel Xiamen, lacquer painting exhibition, 2015

Chinese European Art Center Xiamen, lacquer painting exhibition, 2015

Exhib-it, online, lacquer painting exhibition, 2014

Massbox, (Xiamen, China), lacquer painting exhibition, 2013

Castle Rače, (Rače, Slovenia), painting exhibition, 2010

Gallery Media Nox, (Maribor, Slovenia), graphic art exhibition Found Objects, 2010

University of Maribor, (Maribor, Slovenia), graphic art exhibition, 2009

Faculty of Education Maribor, (Maribor, Slovenia), painting exhibition, 2009

Faculty of Education Maribor, (Maribor, Slovenia), drawing exhibition, 2009

Palacky University, (Olomouc, Czech Republic), painting exhibition, 2008

Konvikt, (Olomouc, Czech Republic), painting exhibition, 2008