Athens Voice - Greece
Nicholas Kontaxis: He cannot speak with words, but through his art
The Greek-American artist, born with a brain tumor and having endured thousands of epileptic seizures, inspires through his painting. The artist's mother, Krisann Kontaxis, speaks on the occasion of the art exhibition “Catch Me” at the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation
By Babis Kalogiannis
Nicholas Kontaxis’s story is one of those that reveal a leap of the soul, transforming life’s hardships and challenges into expression and creativity. Having lived with the nightmare of epileptic seizures since the age of just 15 months, he has managed to create a distinctive artistic language of his own, one that radiates strength and optimism despite obvious adversity.
Born in 1996, the Greek-American artist is a self-taught painter who, like a modern-day Jackson Pollock (one of his most evident and significant influences), experiments with vibrant canvases that showcase his unique, thought-provoking approach to detail in painting. A hallmark of his work is the use of unconventional materials such as spices, coffee, and oil. Art, for Nicholas Kontaxis, is his refuge, a connection to the sense of a normal life that was denied to him from a very young age.
Through the exhibition “Catch Me,” hosted at the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation, Nicholas’s work conveys a universal message of courage and resilience. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore a recreation of his original studio and take part in workshops that incorporate materials and techniques inspired by his practice.
Having been included in Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list of top emerging talents, Nicholas Kontaxis is considered one of the most promising artists of his generation, thanks to his striking sense of “structured chaos.” His paintings are part of major private collections, including those of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, tennis legend Roger Federer, and singer Adele.
His first exhibition opened in Los Angeles in 2017, followed by shows in Chicago, New York, London, and his hometown of Palm Springs, California.
Always by his side is his mother and representative, Krisann Kontaxis, a woman who never stopped believing in her son, having been present for the vast majority of the tens of thousands of epileptic seizures he has endured. She spoke with pride and visible emotion at the press conference for the official opening of “Catch Me”, moved by the interest and warm reception from the public.
“Catch Me is Nicholas’s dream to share his art with Greece, the land of his ancestors. It is our invitation to the public to join hands and see how creativity can become a refuge, a source of hope, and a way of life. Nicholas cannot speak with words, but through his work, he says the things that words often fail to express,” said his mother, reflecting on the long journey she has shared with her son.
As his health continues to decline and his seizures serve as a constant reminder of everything beyond his control, the struggle remains ever-present.
On the sidelines of the press conference, Ms. Kontaxis spoke to Athens Voice about Nicholas’s childhood in California, his art, the nightmare of his medical condition, and the deeper meaning behind the phrase “Catch Me”.
“I would say that my son drew inspiration from many different things, but above all, from church iconography. He experienced our parishes from a very young age and was deeply drawn to the images. All of this unfolded in Palm Springs, California, where he grew up. To be honest, his health condition and the daily struggle it entails have also been a source of inspiration. Sometimes the way Nicholas works is directly connected to how he feels; his art is more about emotion than technique. It begins in his heart.
Nicholas would experiment with any material he could get his hands on—spices, coffee, oil, even ash. Things he discovered constantly in his environment. The seizures would break him down, and the fact that he learned to work ‘on the ground’ where he had fallen was one of the most important parts of his journey. Art embraced him. It told him that the fall didn’t matter—that it was there for him. You fell, but you’ll rise again.
There is ‘dirt’ on the ground, and rather than this repelling him, it became part of his path and his process. Even on his worst days, when he couldn’t even stand up, he still wanted to reach out to his work and feel inspired. That’s how the use of all those materials came to be, many of which resemble that very dirt,” said Ms. Kontaxis, before continuing to speak about her own deeply difficult experience, which ultimately inspired the name of the exhibition.
“I was there to do it for him. The titles of his works were all archived by us, the people who were there to catch him, to ensure his safety. We did it hundreds of times. The phrase ‘Catch Me’ was his call, as well as ours, a reminder that we had to be there. To run and help him.
When things got worse, that phrase didn’t come easily anymore. The landscape of his brain had changed due to medication, but also his overall development. Every title corresponds to the articulation of a word or phrase, spoken between seizures. He recorded all of them, to use in his art. Every title belongs to him. Of course, not everything he has said can be used, but each one is a window into his inner world. Catch Me was one of the most important phrases, and it’s paired with a piece we brought from California. When I saw it in my home, I immediately felt the connection,” Ms. Kontaxis explains.
These titles are thus an inseparable part of each of Nicholas’s works, often holding within them either the most tragic or the most hopeful of stories. One such case is the painting I’m Lonely, which Ms. Kontaxis recalls in detail.
“I’m Lonely, which was completed in two phases, captures moments before and after a brain surgery in 2021. The painting began with beautiful colors and long lines. After the operation, according to the nurse, Nicholas uttered the words ‘I’m lonely.’ But he was never really an unhappy person, which is what gave that phrase particular weight.
Following the surgery, he felt weak and exhausted. It was a difficult time, and we didn’t know what he would manage in the studio. He finished the painting with the least possible effort, which became the tiny dots you see on its surface. The title tells the story behind the piece in the most perfect way.”
As our conversation with Ms. Kontaxis draws to a close, the inevitable question arises:
Where does she find the strength not to break under the weight of the challenges her son has faced all these years?
“My son’s courage is beyond words. And of course, he’s stronger than I am. It’s something symbiotic; if he’s strong, there’s no way I’m going to break. I draw strength from him; I won’t fall if he doesn’t. That’s incredibly important, I think.
God tests you with what you can handle, and through the way Nicholas carries himself, I find strength. He approaches his art like an athlete—like a fighter. Because that’s exactly what he is.”