Nicholas Adamson

How did you get into making art?

I made short films growing up and I originally wanted to be a director. I went through a video installation phase and eventually it transitioned to painting. But I still approach it from a very cinematic place.

What are you currently working on?

My grandparents immigrated to Canada from Poland and I’m currently working on a project that retraces their story.

What inspired you to get started on this body of work?

A few years ago I went to Poland and met my Grandmother’s family for the first time. They gave me an album with black and white pictures of my grandmother visiting from around the 1960’s, the only time she went back to her hometown after immigrating to Canada. These pictures look like scenes from a Claude Chabrol film, and they provided the right amount of ‘distance’ to create a project around a subject that is also very close and personal to me.

Do you work on distinct projects or do you take a broader approach to your practice?

This is the first time I’ve worked on a project with such a specific framework going in.

What’s a typical day like in your studio?

It depends, at the moment I’m between projects so I’m working on some smaller pieces and gearing up to start some larger paintings. I’ve been printing woodcuts lately, building frames for those prints, and I’ll look at art books when I’m really procrastinating.

Who are your favorite artists?

I lived in Leipzig for two years and I was really influenced by German painters. Artists like Otto Dix, Max Beckmann, Amelie von Wulffen, Katharina Wulff, Kai Althoff and Jana Euler.

Where do you go to discover new artists?

I look at books a lot and I’ve been discovering new things at the Public Library.