He calls them "icons," and they are: a collection of pop cultural idols. But Nicholai Khan goes beyond the conventional representation of pop images, infusing his creations with an urban energy which gleans its style not only from Pop Art but also from graffiti, cartoons and anime, all with a multicultural bent. The images are raw and metropolitan and seem to burst from the canvases with a high-speed energy that comes from and reflects life in the big city. Khan infuses his almost photorealistic images with a bright burst of sensation to achieve a result he names "Urban Contemporary." His artistic goal is a multimedia amalgamation of a lifetime of variegated influences. His toolbox includes gold leaf, markers, wood, flowers and even diamonds and jewelry. He reuses discarded paintings and even empty spray paint cans in his enigmatic pieces, rendering them dynamic, singular and truly representative of the urban cacophony in which he creates.
Nicholai Khan has exhibited in New York City and inspires young artists to explore their own power of creative expression.