Nelya Akimova (NELYA-NAKI) is a contemporary artist

Welcome to the Game ON EARTH

|

What if it's true that our whole life on Earth is a big GAME, and we are all just AVATARS? And we have the ability to choose our destiny for the next 100 years?

About artist
Nelya Akimova / NELYA - NAKI

Prior to my active development of the artist's career, I worked for more than 20 years at an international pharmaceutical company. I have gained a great experience in communication with people of different ages and statuses (from young employees to professors and directors of clinics). This experience now helps me explore and display the emotions of people on my canvases.

2018 was very challenging and crucial for me - I changed my country of residence, having moved to Prague, to this most beautiful and mystical city. And I finally changed my profession from doctor and manager to artist.

One of my biggest influences was The Minds of Billy Milligan, by Daniel Keyes. It tells the story of a person, who had dissociative identity disorder.

As a doctor, I became interested in how it is possible for several minds to live in one person at the same time, periodically intercepting control of the body from each other. And this was the beginning of my journey to understanding the other reality of our world on Earth.

When creating my paintings I use my own technique, which was born from my desire to combine the technicality and rudeness of modern concrete surfaces with the purity of Siberian nature. As you can see, the beauty of undressed concrete covered with snow is revealed on every canvas.

Siberia is my homeland. Those who were there in the winter never forget the vastness and purity of the snowy expanses. And, as contrast, concrete structures rise among the snow. This magic remains with you for the rest of your life. I want to convey it in my canvases.
My grandmother was an Altai healer (Altai is a part of Siberia). My father told me something from his childhood. When he was a little boy there were always other children in their house who my grandmother treated for stuttering. And I feel a certain energy that leads me. I think this is the inheritance of my grandmother, transmitted through the love of my father. I dedicated one of my paintings to her.

"You know, you think of Siberia, and it's more a construct of the mind than it is a place on the map, but it is very much a place on the map. It's just not a specific place. No place is called -officially called Siberia. There's no state called Siberia. But it has always existed as this mythical place, and I've always been fascinated with places that are both mythical and real, that you can go to but also have this mythic component." IAN FRAZIER

BIO of the artist Nelya Akimova (Nelya-Naki)

Artist Nelya Akimova (NELYA-NAKI) is an artist who creates striking oil-on-canvas images and also works with digital photographic art.

The main direction of the artist's research is the desire to comprehend the illusory nature of our reality and invite the viewer to take a different way of perceiving our world -

"Welcome to the Game on Earth!"
What if it's true that our whole life on Earth is a big GAME, and we are all just AVATARS? And we have the ability to choose our destiny for the next 100 years?

So, in her art, an artist Nelya Akimova (NELYA-NAKI) rethinks the reality of the existing world and creates various possible versions of human destinies and AVATARS.
Her images are reminiscent vastness and purity of snowy expanses that exist in contrast to the commanding presence of modern concrete architecture. By applying oil to the surface of her canvases, Akimova is able to create a rugged quality within her compositions that is reminiscent of concrete.

Akimova works using an intuitive process, applying paint to the canvas without a preconceived idea of how the composition will evolve; figures emerge out of the white expanses of paint, forming elegant simplicity through implementing a minimalist palette and strong contrast between light and dark.

Before her decision to focus on creating art full-time, Akimova enjoyed a successful career working in the pharmaceutical industry. She felt called, however, to live a life beyond the stability and predictability that she had become accustomed to. Moving to Prague in 2018 was the beginning of a new chapter in her life when she began working on her new collection of paintings.

NELYA-NAKI also creates digital photographic art. Sometimes she feels like she's predicting the future.
Getting on the working field of the program, the photos are bent, twisted, and stretched, as if life itself passes through them and breathes in the idea. And now, she can already see how the image begins to emerge. He looks fun, sad, or smiles mysteriously, depending on the sensations that she catches in space. The creation of digital images helps her to rethink and convey the search and acceptance of her subpersonalities. Who am I? Who are we?

Despite the fact that her creative journey lasted only less than 5 years, her works have already been presented at exhibitions in many countries around the world - the USA, Italy, France, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Greece. Also in October 2023, her work was exhibited in London at the Focus Art Fair at the legendary Saatchi Gallery.

CV of the artist Nelya Akimova (Nelya-Naki)

2023 Group exhibition in Art Number 23 Gallery, Athens, Greece
2023 Group exhibition Art Fair FOCUS at Saatchi Gallery, by Gabriele Fine Arts Gallery, London, GB
2023 Group exhibition in Art Number 23 Gallery, Salzburg, Austria
2023 Group exhibition in Slovanský Dům in Prague powered by AAMI corporation, Czech Republic
2022 Group exhibition Art Fair Carrousel du Louvre, Paris, France
2019-20 Four group online exhibitions in the gallery, 530 W 25th St, New York, USA.
2019 Group exhibition "Little Treasures" Trevisan International Art, Bologna, Italy.

Awards in art competitions:
2020 Artist Contest Artavita, won publication in the World Wide Art Magazine
2019 -20 Invited Jury at Gateway International Painting Competition, USA.
2019 2nd prize, Gateway International Painting Competition, USA.

Art education:
2023 – course at M&C Saatchi Open House.
2022 Art Communications Course, SCE Institute of the Mediterranean Culture, Athens, Greece.

Publications:
2023 Artist Talk Magazine https://www.artisttalkmagazine.com/issue-28
2023 catalogue of the exhibition Art Fair FOCUS at Saatchi Gallery, by Gabriele Fine Arts Gallery, London, GB
https://view.publitas.com/gabriel-fine-arts/focus-catalogue/
2023 Digest «Art Environment» of the Artists Club https://artclub-js.com/nelya-akimova-digital-images
2023 catalogue of the exhibition in ART NUMBER 23 Gallery, Salzburg, Austria
2023 catalogue of the exhibition in Slovanský Dům, Czech Republic
2022 catalogue of the exhibition Modern Art Masters in Complex du Louvre, Paris, France
2019 catalogue of the exhibition "Little Treasures" Trevisan International Art, Bologna, Italy
2019 World Wide Art Magazine https://wwab.us/wwa-magazine-3/

Artist’s statement

"Welcome to the Game ON EARTH!“
What if it's true that our whole life on Earth is a big GAME, and we are all just AVATARS? And we have the ability to choose our destiny for the next 100 years?

I have already played this game many times. But each time I remembered the rules of the game only when the game was over.
And now, I arranged everything perfectly, chose my parents, and agreed with their souls how they would educate me, how they would pass on the rules of the game to me, which, as it turned out later, they themselves did not remember.
Finally, I was born. And I forgot everything again for the first 50 years. But it seems that this time the secret is revealed, I began to see clearly.

----------------------------

I believe that our life on Earth is a big game in which parents and society, layer by layer, impose taboos on the free souls of children. Children lose their memory and stop hearing their inner voice. And only a strange longing in the chest reminds us of our divine origin. And the one who manages to remember and connect the soul and mind is the winner of the game.

The purpose of my art is to draw the viewer's attention to his inner voice, and inner light, to trust him and understand the intention of the soul that once chose this incarnation and this fate. And so break free. So, in my paintings, I create various possible versions of human destinies and AVATARS.

I'm talking about a different way of perceiving our world. My work shows the path of a person from childhood trauma, through the growth and inner pain of accepting all his energies and minds to the search for true inner light and gaining freedom - establishing the union of his soul and mind. This is a game of choice.

Sometimes I feel like I'm predicting the future. The material guides me. The sensations that I catch from space appear on my canvases in the process of working, I just have to make them visible.

My paintings are a metaphor for snow-covered concrete slabs, with images appearing on them. They are created by a team - my body (hands) give visibility to the images, and my soul and mind work out the plot together.

Today we are broken, sharp as pieces of glass, we do not know who to rely on, or how to collect ourselves. But, I understand that if you accept each of your pieces - fragments, there will be hope and the opportunity to start building yourself. And the metaphor of concrete helps to convey the creation of a new person who respects himself, and therefore, treats others with care and respect.

I walk my hero's path on every canvas. I am aware of my transformation and see how it is synchronized with the transformation of our entire society.

Sometimes, my paintings are consonant with the work of Picasso's "Guernica", but the world on my canvases does not collapse, but changes, the shades of concrete bring the beauty of creation, the construction of a new world. So purity, undisguised honesty, and strong reliability of the material are combined with the possibility of embodying the most daring and flying ideas of architects.

I believe that having gone through wars, the destruction of existing systems, and dictatorships, humanity will come to a new era of Goodness, Acceptance, and Freedom. And while the world is on the verge of great changes, we all inevitably feel this Zeitgeist.

Metamodernism perfectly conveys this unity of disturbing reality and the beautiful virtual world and makes it possible to create the Game in the language of art and invite the viewer into it. Here you can make mistakes and not be lost, there is free will, and it is not suppressed, but supported and accepted by society.

Here you can hear your inner voice, trust it and understand the intention of the soul that once chose this incarnation and this fate. And so break free.

Download PDF
PORTFOLIO
"Welcome to the Game on Earth"

All the world's a game…
Since the middle of the 20th century, “game/play” has been one of the main ideas in cultural thought. Its various aspects can be found in the works of José Ortega y Gasset, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Johan Huizinga, and others.

Penetrating all spheres of human life, the gaming concept has become a multisided socio-cultural phenomenon and this is not surprising: everything in this world first appears in our imagination, and later it can become part of the material world. Moreover, in all cultures, games are a means to learn and practice group norms.
If we use this concept to interpret Nelya Akimova`s artistic expression, it can be noticed that in her art “a game” offered to the viewer is a conceptual frame, allowing a smooth transition between reality and a fictional world of fantasy the artist creates.

Revealing all the potential of the canvas available to her, the artist invites the viewer into a space where shortcomings of the chaotic reality are neutralized and a person is provided a way to adapt to it.
This is her experiment and personal and sincere artistic research of the world around her, and being vulnerable is her conscious decision. It is based on the need to create a dialogue with the world with respect for oneself and for the Other.

The Other for Nelya is the one who is opposite or, perhaps, the Other is an inner part of her and our personalities, which we have to perceive and accept, in order to create a place for it. Thus, by uniting our disparate facets, we obtain integrity.
Of course, this is the art of metamodernism: the state of "meta", the moment of transition, in the very essence of contemporality. It forms the context of duality, hesitation, and a combination of the opposite: the unity of disturbing reality and a beautiful fantasy or virtual world.

Her every painting is a concentrated essence of life, a microcosm containing feelings, intellect, and passion of the artist's soul. Just the way the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus compared the Creator of our world with a playing child, the artist suggests that, perhaps, creating the world in the act of playing is human fate. It is no accident that next to the world of nature mankind again and again creates another world, a fictional one.
Stroke after stroke, the artist unites metaphors and elements of reality, shaping her fantastic universe: snow-covered concrete slabs with images that slowly appear on them and unreal digital faces - avatars...

Avatarism as a trend in visual arts is based on the synthesis of the Western intellectual worldview and the spiritual and mystical traditions of the East. Nelya Akimova's avatarism is about freedom of the form: it is her freedom to choose the prism for anticipating the world in order to build her artistic expression. This is also the freedom of choice of the viewer: choosing an avatar within her artistic reality, he can become the best version of himself by individual choice, as suggested by James Cameron.

Just the way she changed her life having moved to another country and became an artist (as if she has consciously changed her avatar), her art reflects the understanding that the future is variable and depends on the choices people make in the present. In other words, this is not only a prediction of possible alternatives for the future, but also the possibility of choosing the most preferable of them.…

Julia Sysalova
Curator, Critic - AICA Member,
Vice President of Institute of the Mediterranean Culture

PHOTO GALLERY

Heartfelt thanks to Artist Talk Magazine for featuring my painting, "Once at a session with Old Freud"

It's an honor to grace the pages alongside such exceptional artists. Being part of this captivating magazine is truly inspiring. This support means the world, amplifying the reach of art. I'm immensely grateful for this opportunity.

The exhibition with my participation in the Art Number 23 gallery in Athens from October 27 to November 2, 2023

Gallery address:
Art Number 23 | Gallery | Dim Eginitou, 8, Thisseio, Athens, Greece

Exhibitions that drew upon the collection of Charles Saatchi, led to the Saatchi Gallery becoming a recognized authority in contemporary art globally. The Gallery acquired a strong reputation for introducing artists who would later gain worldwide recognition.

On October 4-7, 2023, the Focus Art fair was held at the Saatchi Gallery, where my paintings had the honor of being exhibited.

A massive shoutout to Gabriele Fine Arts Gallery for making this incredible opportunity happen.

21-27.07.2023 - Group exhibition "O P E N A R T" in ART Number 23 Gallery (Salzburg, Austria).

At this exhibition, I presented 4 of my paintings:

- "When the whole universe is in my head. Please stop launching rockets“ Oil, canvas, 50x50cm, 2019-23

- "The all-powerful jester rules the king and the world“ Oil, canvas, 50x50cm, 2019-22
Who really rules the world?

- "The Minds of the mad professor“ Oil, canvas, 50x50cm,
2019-22
Which mind is fighting for your body right now? Who wins?

- "Conspirators“ Oil, canvas, 50x50cm, 2022
Huge storms begin with a light whisper

May 2023 - January 2024 - Group exhibition "Modrá Kohout" in Slovanský Dům (Prague) powered by AAMI corporation, Czech Republic.

At this exhibition, I present several of my paintings:
- "Humanity sleeps in the net of samsara", 120x100 cm, Oil, Canvas, 2019-23.
Very soon there will be Metaverses, where our Avatars will live a vibrant life that we can only dream of while we will sleep in networks of wires. But what if it's already happening?
And we are already someone's Avatars? Then who is the real player?

- "Looking for inner light", 90х60 cm, Photography & Digital Manipulation, print on canvas, 2023
When we are hurt, sad, and lonely, we are frantically looking for external solutions, looking for people.
A wise man goes deep into himself. He is looking for peace and quiet.
This is a game of finding the inner light. We all play this game the best we can.

- "Where are my wings?" 90х60 cm, Photography & Digital Manipulation, print on canvas, 2023
I remember I flew high and free.
Was it a dream or was it life before I was born? I don't know.
But somewhere in the chest lives delight and a feeling of flight.
So where are my wings?

October 21-23, 2022, the opening of the Art Fair Carrousel du Louvre in Paris took place. According to the regulars, there has never been such a huge interest and crowds at this exhibition. Several thousand people came to see the work of contemporary artists.

At this exhibition, I present my painting "Unicorn." It is made in oil, it took about six months of my work to create it.

The idea and meaning of the picture were born together with it. As if someone unknown told me the images and lines on the canvas.

Success is always multifaceted and complex. What is behind the sudden rise?
Years of insane faith in your idea and despair, meditative calmness and fears,
help from the Universe, and lonely wandering
in a misunderstanding of the path.

The artwork “The ban on breathing”, became the second winner of the annual Gateway International Painting Competition 2018-19.

Judge's Comments:

"There are powerful textural shapes, positive and negative spaces, yet it is so subtle. Beautifully conceived and rendered."
Judge and Category: Valerie Kent, Abstract Professional
"The artist engages the viewer immediately with the impact of contrasts: lights against darks, smooth textures against rough, organic shapes punctuated by geometric. We are invited on a journey of exploration, to move through this painting, to discover what is behind these shapes. The dark images appear to be floating--another contrast against the solidity at the lower portion of the composition. Nelya-Naki‘s technique creates an almost musical rhythm that results in a compelling story. Our curiosity is piqued on so many levels and we are left with a desire to see more."
Annual Competition Judges: Art Professionals Kathy Duley, and Linda Corderman
And after successfully participating in the competition, I became a member of the team of judges of The Gateway International Painting Competition.

After successfully participating in this competition, the World Wide Art Magazine included the publication about the work of the artist Akimova Nelya.