Niko Thomsen has a bachelor of arts from “the freie kunststudienstätte” Ottersberg, near Bremen in Germany. Living in his studio/workshop, taking on creative construction work during the daytime, he also at night was running a bar, his community arts centre, gallery and 16mm cinema.

After visiting NZ several times, Niko moved here permanently in 1999, established himself again as an artist, exhibiting regularly, and accepting many varied commissions.

 New Zealand  certainly has an influence on his work. “The lush vegetation, the wind and the sea, the spikiness of some plants, the deep and somehow overwhelming forests, the mountains, all that inspires me to create objects which have been taken over by plants, as if they would if someone or something would allow them. Humans see themselves as something absolute, something that is ruling our beautiful nature. With my artwork I try to explore a world were this will of being stronger could be broken.”