NICHOLAS WOJTAS
Photographic Artist
I have always been interested in expressing myself through the arts.
I was introduced to photography in 2005 when I accompanied my father to photograph weeds in blueberry fields as part of his work in Kentville, Nova Scotia. Since then I have never looked back.
I studied Applied Communications Arts in 2008 at Nova Scotia Community College and in 2010 I went to School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa, a fine art Photography School in Ottawa, Ontario.
To me, true Art must evoke emotion. When you look at a piece it must make you feel something deep from within, whether it is positive or negative. It should have a deeper meaning and the ability to move the viewer.
My biggest aim in my work is to capture emotion using the landscape as a means of expressing myself. These emotions can embody happiness, sadness, hardship, tranquility, sensitivity and persistence in difficult times of one’s life. My work portrays that even in the darkest of times, we must keep going and never give up. We must keep searching until we find what we are looking for and to follow our dreams to the fullest.
I look to my favourite music Artists as inspiration for my work. As I work on a piece I listen to their music to put what I feel inside into my work. It always comes from the heart.
Another body of work that is ongoing for me deals with an even deeper topic. I document my daily struggles with anxiety and mental illness. These photographs speak of the realities of mental illness, how recovery is possible, and that if we continue to better ourselves and further improve everyday we can conquer mental illness. On dark days we must remember that we all make a difference in this world just by being who we are, by doing even the smallest tasks everyday to make this world a better place. We all contribute to this world. We all matter.
These Photographs also depict that everyone is fighting some sort of battle and going through their own struggles. Mental illness is a hardship we all must face.
I will continue to convey my personality and express myself through the Artwork that I create.