About the artist
the artist’s journey
Work, Awareness, and Value. The Art of NIZEN
NIZEN’s artistic practice is closely connected to his background. Growing up in a district of Vienna shaped by social housing, concrete surfaces, and functional architecture, his surroundings were defined by everyday labor and pragmatic spaces. This early visual and social environment continues to form a central foundation of his artistic inquiry.
During his youth, NIZEN was deeply engaged in music production. Working with rhythm, repetition, and structure sharpened his sensitivity to processes and sequences. In painting, he later found a medium that connects these principles with physical work and material presence. The deliberate use of the paint roller marked a turning point and became the starting point for a visual language that moves away from the classical brush.
At the center of his practice are tools and objects of everyday life. Paint rollers, spatulas, brooms, or mop heads are designed for function, speed, and surface. They originate from contexts of physical work and labor and are commonly understood as tools of execution rather than means of artistic expression. NIZEN transfers these tools into the field of fine art and combines them with motifs that are socially associated with luxury, ownership, and cultural value. Architecture, real estate, entrances, or views are not rendered in detail but worked through. The traces of labor remain visible and shape the image.
A clearly set signature color block forms the final layer of his works and functions as a conscious act of setting within an open process.
This engagement is closely linked to an awareness rooted in Zen philosophy. Zen understands everyday objects as equal in being. This perspective is reflected in NIZEN’s work and points toward a connection between working-class realities and luxury beyond hierarchical distinctions.
Born in 1992, NIZEN lives and works in Vienna. His works have been collected internationally and shown in various spatial contexts.
"My tools are everyday objects. They stand for labor, presence, and an awareness that considers all things as equal."
artist statement
Tools, Awareness, and the Equality of Things
My work begins with the origins of painting. With labor, tools, and conscious action. I work with everyday objects such as paint rollers, spatulas, brooms, or mop heads. These tools are functional, reduced, and oriented toward movement.
This practice is closely connected to an awareness rooted in Zen. For me, mindfulness means giving the same attention to the moment and to the material. In Zen, everything exists equally in being.
In my works, everyday tools encounter motifs commonly associated with value, ownership, or privilege. The roughness of the tools remains visible and opens a space between labor, perception, and value.