Nicholaas Chiao

b. 1981

Nicholaas Chiao, aka Nicholas Chistiakov (b.1981, Minsk, BSSR), is a Belarus-American contemporary artist in Brooklyn. Nicholaas Chiao deals with sensational themes, such as death, psychosis, contemplation, love, and immortality. His work raises challenging aspects about the future of humanity, the new religion, and science, often depicting the terror and tragedy of today's world. His idea of the new religion is present in project Idols of Niertismus and his ethical vision of the human future is expressed in a series entitled Solar Milk. Chiao is known for his diverse body of work emphasizing portraits and figurative compositions, besides monumental paintings, abstraction, and other subjects. Nicholaas Chiao is known for working in a multiplicity of styles and varied disciplines, from conceptual art to photorealist, abstract, expressionist, and neo-cubist paintings, from drawing to painting, sculpture, installation art, and performance. Nicholaas Chiao was born and raised in Belarus in a family of Soviet computer scientists. From 1989 to 2000 he studied art and Minsk Art Lyceum, where his most notable teacher was Vladimir Stelmashonok. In 2004 Artist attended the Belarus State Academy of Arts where he studied under Mai Dantsig and Nikolai Kireev. Due to the collapse of the Soviet Union Soviet Computer industry also nearly ceased and his family was having difficult times. In 2000-ies family relocated to the USA. Upon relocating to the States, in 2005 he found a job as a Sign Designer for Jewish Sign Company in the Fort Hamilton area of Brooklyn. Also, later through Artnet magazine, he learned about the New York art scene and found art dealers to represent his work. Nicholaas Chiao developed his signature photorealist technique of paintings using computer technology and modern equipment. He also actively creates digital paintings.