Figure 1981

Nikos Nikolaou made this painting, simply titled ‘Figure,’ using what looks like muted, earthy pigments and thin glazes. It’s a scene of quiet contemplation, and looking at it, I can almost feel the artist tracing the contours of the sitter with his brush. I imagine Nikolaou, brush in hand, circling the canvas, figuring out how to capture the essence of the human form with such minimal strokes. The light seems to be coming from everywhere and nowhere, washing over the figure, and softening the edges of the body against the pale blue background. It makes me think about the push and pull between abstraction and figuration, and how artists like Nikolaou were constantly negotiating these ideas in their work. There is a sense of uncertainty, openness, and ongoing exchange of ideas and experimentation. It reminds us that painting is an embodied expression, allowing for multiple interpretations and no fixed meanings.