Canadian visual artist

Erik Nieminen is a prominent Canadian visual artist based in Montreal, recognized for his complex oil paintings that blur the lines between urban realism and surreal abstraction.

IN-DEPTH interview with PAINTER Erik Nieminen (Montreal-Berlin)

Welcome back to another edition! Today we’re live in a Montreal studio with an artist who shares his space with his equally creative wife. We’re back diving into how he navigates creativity in a rapidly changing world, the merits of his process, and the ongoing debate around artificial intelligence in art.

The heart of our conversation focused on how the art world has changed, particularly in light of the pandemic and the rise of digital platforms like Instagram. The internet has pushed the visual arts forward in an “inevitable” progression that artists are quick to embrace, including new AI-generated mediums. We touched on the controversial topic of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). 

Erik, however, doesn’t view AI as an existential threat but as a potential partner. He finds purely AI-generated art lacks true intellectual thought or composition. Instead, he collaborates with the technology: he uploads photos of his paintings and sculptures and allows the AI to “fiddle with it” and create a new version. He then reclaims this AI-interfered image and works back into it, “pumping humanity back into the AI” to create a collaborative, unexpected new work—much like Neo interfacing with the Matrix.

Why oil? For an artist who takes up to three months to finish a single painting, the slow-drying nature of oil paint is essential. It allows for reworking areas over time, unlike fast-drying acrylics.He views painting as the most “magical” of mediums, capable of creating space out of “colored mud.” Paintings act as “transponders” or portals, taking mundane subjects and presenting them in a recontextualized, surreal way.

In our conversation, we also explore the stark cultural differences between Europe and North America through the lens of an artist who has called both home. Berlin’s identity was forged in the vacuum left after the Fall of the Wall. Derelict factories and abandoned buildings became a playground for squatters, artists, and “weirdos,” turning the city into a global creative hub. However, that era is fading. Like London, Paris, and New York before it, Berlin is rapidly gentrifying. The very artists who made the city “cool” are now being priced out by skyrocketing rents. 

Whether in the heart of Berlin or a quiet corner of Montreal, the artist’s mission remains the same: to create a portal through the work. Watch the full interview on our YouTube Channel 

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ANONYMOUS REALITY: Erik Nieminen (2020) Documentary

ANONYMOUS REALITY Documentary captures a decade of his journey in the art world. The story takes us to Ottawa, Montreal, New-York City, London and Berlin.

ErikNieminen.com