About the artist…
Welcome to my life.
It all started in 9th grade. I was in my garage sweating over a canvas with a can of spray paint in the dead summer in Los Angeles. It struck me in that moment that, despite the uncomfortable respiratory mask that looked like something out of Starwars, the sweat dripping onto canvas, and the strong aroma of chemicals, I felt so free. Expression is a lifting force.
Let me explain the backstory of why I was using spray paint. I thought I was a “cool kid” and hung out with a friend who vandalized. Kind of odd since it was his own house. I like him, but realized that, by association, I was mixed up with the wrong crowd. One story reminds me of this unhealthy friendship. After smoking enough weed to tranquilize a baby elephant, I fell into a deep sleep on a couch in a trailer in Temecula. This was a trailer where all of the graffiti artists would hang out. Given that nothing would wake me up, knocked out from the marijuana, they decided to graffiti my entire body IN PAINT PEN. Not sure if you’ve ever tried to get paint pen off of your body, but it’s like using your hands to clean a heavily greased oven… Near impossible.
My Italian legs also didn’t appreciate all of the paint which married beautifully to the hair. I found out rather quickly that it was not the right crowd for me, but I still loved the artistic side of spray painting, so I took it to canvas. I made several collections of abstract spray painted art that still hang in my home. This piece came out of that era, and is part of the X series made in 2012.
In 11th grade I would constantly get in trouble in watercolor class for “coloring outside of the lines.” I always wanted to do my own style, no matter the assignment. Dana, the teacher asked for a painting like this:
And I painted something like this: here.
I graduated high school with poor grades and left for the University of Arizona in Tucson. After 1/2 year of studying business, I found myself wandering campus in the calm dessert nights looking at palm trees and the stars looking escape the depression. I am not a low energy or depressed person, but at that time I had no drive, no purpose, lots of alcohol, and was living in the dorms which was really draining. I was worn out.
There was a pivotal moment in my depression where I started looking for other avenues, almost like a person who’s drowning and flailing for help. A Hare Krsna monk tried to sell me a book, and I only had $3 left. He said that it was ok, but I insisted that I had more money for him at my dorm. He followed me back and I gave him my emergency $100. My thought process: if magic / God / the universe exists, then he / she / it will see that I need help. I figured that the money would go to something great anyways. The monk was extremely grateful for the money.
That night I sat alone, at the top of am empty parking garage, Bagavad Gita in hand, trying to understand the message, which I thought would roll right off the pages, into my eye balls, and enlighten me. But nothing made sense! I was forcing magic to come to me, and if you know about magic, you need to approach it with humility and awe. This depression wouldn’t be solved with my stubborn mind wanting an answer, an answer NOW. I sat with my depression for one more week praying something would change. I have only prayed in emergency situations and this was one. It always works. Humility.
My prayers were answered the following week. I met another monk on campus and this person would soon pull me out of the depths of depression, become my dearest friend, confidant, and travel buddy. I would not be the man I am today with Jaya Kesava Das. He taught more than I could ever describe in this short passage. He showed me the power of food, friends, and slowing down.
Over the next 7 years my life completely changed. I got my degree in Agriculture Sciences going from a 1.9 GPA in Arizona to graduating Summa Cum Laude with a 3.87 GPA at Oregon State University. I owned a sourdough bakery that brought a small town in Missouri together, selling 60 loaves per day. I lived rurally with a few dogs on a farm in Missouri for four years in a town with population 75. I traveled 80 days in Europe with a backpack, and ultimately moved to LA, got an excellent job in Research and Development for Melissa’s Produce where I got to travel the world, and now I am pursing a career in real estate.
This 7 year journey was sparked in Tucson watching farming documentaries like The Greenhorns, Food Inc., and The Biggest Little Farm. These films influenced my decision to switch degrees from Business to Agriculture Sciences. The leap of faith happened when I moved from Tucson, Arizona to Applegate Valley, Oregon to intern on an herb farm called Oshala. I never finished the internship. After 6 months I left because the work was too difficult. I left in August, which all of the farmers in the area called “angry August” because of the extreme humidity / heat and the work load being peak season. We were working overtime and my friend left, and I followed him. This was the first time in my life were I broke a promise. Those three months to finish the season would have build a strong relationship with the farm owners, and saved me peace of mind. Despite the ill feelings that they felt, the hosts of the farm, Jeff and Elise, were so gracious and allowed me to visit them years later. I don’t think I will ever forgive myself for leaving the farm early. Here’s the farm, they have excellent herbal remedies so hop on over and give them some support!
My next move was volunteering in St. Thomas. I helped a lady named Catherine who decided to move away from the Mainland and buy a 3 acre property in the jungle. The previous owner was an 84 year old woman who hadn’t maintained the jungle for 30 years. I was studying Ag Sciences online, which afforded me the opportunity to live wherever I wanted. My daily routine in this jungle oasis was: 1 - wake up, 2- tai chi, and 3 - eat a papaya from the tree (that’s funny it rhymed :). Being outdoors and working with my hands helped clear my mind and focus on school and I was getting great grades as a result. Someone saw my work in the Virgin Islands and said, “Live on my farm in Missouri!” I thought,"Missouri…really… absolutely no fucking way.” He sent me pictures of the house. It was shocking how quickly I changed my mind after seeing those beautiful pictures. After some planning, I was on a flight to pick up my car in LA. The farm was 30 minutes away from the nearest grocery store. From the Virgin Islands and their perfect 75 degree weather every day, to the bi-polar weather in the midwest. Missouri is like living with a drunk mother nature. You never know what she will throw next. One day it’s windless and perfect, the next a tornado is headed your way.
Missouri was majestic. The first time I drove out to the farm, it was sunset and I was going through the hardwood forest in my Hyundai Sonata. The sky was electric orange. The clouds looked so small, detailed and distant, like this land was stretched. It was so different from the island sunsets. I drove from LA to Missouri with as many belongings as a man can fit in a mid-sized sedan, which included a tiny orchid named Winston who hadn’t flowered in over a year. Winston died the first night as a result of the wood-burning stove… Forgive me, I did not know it’s power, but for those who grew up in a city, if you over stoke the woodburning stove, it’s fucking hot and uncontrollably dry. Winston didn’t take to the dry heat well and shrived up.
Missouri was the most cathartic period in my life. It was filled with edible gardens, nights cooking by the wood burning stove, friends from town escaping the “city”, dogs, and silence. To give you an idea of how rural we’re talking, in 24 hours, there were only two cars that passed the gravel road each day and they were the same cars. Since it was so incredibly silent, I still have memories of doing school at the computer and hearing a new car approach. I would slam my laptop shut, throw my muck boots on, walk briskly to the top of the driveway. I would stand by the driveway and listen as the rubber tires crunched the gravel. When an unfamiliar car was on this road, they were either lost or had a purpose. Either way, I don’t think I’ve ever cherished a stranger’s company more. When things or people don’t come around for a while, it’s a blessing when they do. Like I said during the beginning of this paragraph it was the “most cathartic period of my life.”
We become many people through the years, and looking back at my decisions has shown me a lot about myself. There are a few qualities that never lose taste like kindness, being a giving person, and compassion to name a few. If we act out of love, it elevates the entire world.
From My Heart,
Nikko
Here’s a picture of me picking papayas for breakfast. A morning ritual :)
