Curriculum Vitae

Nikolai Bolik is a wanderer between art and science.

 

He was born in Aachen in the year 2000 and grew up in a small village on the outskirts of the city. After finishing high school, he chose to study physics at Heidelberg University.

 

During his studies, he focused particularly on the dynamics of complex quantum systems and later began a PhD in the field of Computer Science, once again at Heidelberg University.

 

Over the years, painting has taken on an ever greater role in his life. Alongside his work in science, Nikolai Bolik has dedicated himself to an intense exploration of inner worlds. His works arise from the desire to make inner processes visible, to condense emotions, and to bring hidden perceptions into the light.

 

His artistic works have been presented in several exhibitions, among them the project How Does the New We Come About?, which explores new forms of artistic and social expression. Other exhibitions have likewise shed light on different aspects of his creative practice.

 

For Nikolai Bolik, art is an open field of possibilities, where the invisible takes shape and inner worlds resonate with outer reality.

Künstlerstatement

The task of art is to understand people in their despair and to encourage their hopes.

 

My works explore inner dreamscapes, lived realities, and human conditions. They are reflections of our inner in-between worlds, opening a space where deep experiences can be revealed.

 

My paintings begin as a synthesis of impressions and thoughts that merge in my mind over months or even years. At some point, these visions demand to be realized. With the first layer of paint, a living dialogue begins between the image and myself. The initial vision gradually recedes, and something new manifests. I believe artists are wanderers at the threshold between chaos and order. They dive into the unknown, search for hidden treasures, and bring them forth as nourishment for the soul. Not fully consciously, they also uncover knowledge of the shadows that the future casts into the present.

 

Paintings are always resonant chambers. They unfold when one already carries their essence within. Then a dialogue emerges—between the whisper of the work and the viewer.

 

I love traditional painting because it opens a timeless dialogue with the masters of the past. Painting is a quiet medium, existing somewhat outside the dimension of time. Unlike film or music, a painting does not demand immediate attention. It is patient. It is a mirror of the soul, inviting both an intense gaze and a fleeting glance—always offering something to be found.

 

Every painting I create is meant to be painted with sincerity. When this succeeds, it becomes at once a self-portrait and a portrait of the time.