TNG: Can you tell us about your artistic journey and how you developed your unique style influenced by fantasy, gaming, and Afro-Caribbean worlds?

N: My journey is quite interesting. I started off being a basketball player before getting into the arts. It was the perfect balance to help grow confidence into myself, but it also expanded into my horizons and experiences. Alongside this, I have enjoyed art since I was little. Watching cartoons and playing video games, storytelling has always been something I enjoyed. These worlds inspired me to chase my dreams. To tell my own legacy through what I create. In addition, culture gave me the passion to make my own worlds. My family are immigrants and they taught me to be free in creativity. 

TNG: How does a day in your studio look like? 

N: A day in my studio usually starts with doing my morning routine of tea/coffee, headphones, and gaming lofi music. It’s a nice relaxing beat in the morning that always makes me think clearly, check up on any messages/projects, schedule social posts, etc. Then around midday, when I arrive back from the gym or an outing, I would work on some art and build mood boards for creation. That is how I am able to conceptualise these ideas for my daily work.

TNG: How have your experiences growing up influenced your artistic vision and storytelling?

N: My experiences truly flourished from growing up in a multicultural household. My grandmother is German, grandfather is Italian, and my father’s side of the family is Caribbean/Jamaican. Everyone shared their stories of their homeland and how much they valued humanity. The power of empathy is really what kept me going through hardships and pressures in sport. It also allowed me to want to express the beauty and wonders of the world through my imagination.

TNG: Could you describe the process of combining different mediums in your artwork and how it enhances your ability to create innovative mixed media pieces?

N: When I create my art, I daydream and envision what I want the emotion of the art to feel. Playing and studying video game art gives me different tech ideas on how to create a unique space between character design, colours, and textures. Every tool I learn, or continue to progress on, brings that much more depth to my work. The best feeling with experimenting combinations is you never know what you could discover.

TNG: Your work delves into surreal and imaginative realms, offering viewers a glimpse into rich and diverse cultures. How do you ensure that your abstract art effectively communicates these cultural elements to the audience?

N: I create a lot of work-in-progress outcomes. There are some works I even share around to see what kind of reaction people get out of it. A lot of back and forth with which tools to use and what makes sense for what I want the message to be. What I have learned over time is making sure to capture an audience that reflects fantasy and surreal futurism. Making characters full of range and representing my roots.

TNG: Can you share a specific piece or series of your artwork that you feel best represents your avant-garde approach to otherworldly depictions? What inspired you to create it, and what message were you aiming to convey?

N: One set of works that best represents my approach is the ‘KIEYA’ collection on wildxyz. The collection is inspired by my grandmother's German shepherd 'Kieya', who protected her outside while playing as a child. Kieya was like a guardian, enabling Nygilia to explore the world and learn with a safe and benevolent companion. Throughout the collection, I employed uniquely magical use of character creation, rooting the viewer's experience in a rich exploration of posthumanism through the lens of Afro-Caribbean futurity.  

TNG: As a multidisciplinary artist, you also incorporate animations into your work. How do you believe animation adds to the storytelling aspect of your art, and what challenges or opportunities does it present?

N: I believe animation is the most powerful version of art in the world. I love going to the cinema and just having this experience of watching a story unfold. This is what art feels like. Creating moments that last a lifetime. Something new or that isn’t the norm. Something that makes you wonder. That is what I want for my collectors.

TNG: How do you see the intersection of culture, storytelling, and visual art in your work?

N: I see this as a way to break barriers of what afro and diaspora culture means. Even the term ‘Afrofuturism’ has a lot of misconceptions. I think there need to be more stories told from African artists around the world. I think this not only improves understanding between cultures, but invites new opportunities. 

TNG: What are some upcoming projects or themes that you're excited to explore in your art?

 

N: I would say the next thing I am excited for is diving deeper into a combination of generative coding, 3D, and mixed-media collage painting. My aim is to enter my self-portrait era existing within these worlds and characters I create.

TNG: How do you see your artistic journey evolving in the future?

N: I see it evolving by getting deeper into my own personal growth and emotional moments. I feel every positive and negative moment has many layers, colours, and visions beyond earth. The aliens are officially here so anything is possible haha.