I think we can all agree that Instagram is pretty awesome. It's an endless well of visual inspiration and a wonderful resource for discovering new talent. Matt Ritchie and his rats? Totally an Instagram find. E. Ipolani and her dreamy micro munny customs? Yep. And now: Nico from Absurd Toys, whose old timey, otherworldly creatures had me double-tapping every photo in my feed until my thumb was tired. Likely amused by my ardent enthusiasm, the French artist was kind enough to share a bit about himself and explain where the heck he's been all our lives.
Nico's foray into art making began five years ago carving wooden Tiki statues. A full time cook and restaurant owner from La Rochelle, France, the statues were simply a means of creative release. He got into ceramics shortly after and then into making shrunken heads out of polymer clay. "When I discovered all the possibilities of poly clay and the gain of time compared to wood, I decided to try to make my own toys," Nico recalls. "I then made a diorama in collaboration with Nicoz Balboa for a Halloween group show at MF Gallery in Brooklyn, and another piece for the Calaver'Arts show at The Square gallery in Geneva."
The rest, as they say, is history. An antique collector and fan of old sci fi movies, Nico's tastes and experiences translate into his work remarkably well. "There's a lot of similarities between cooking and sculpture, especially on the pastry side!" He laughs. All of Nico's works are for sale and collectors are welcome to contact him directly for pricing and availability at absurdtoys@gmail.com. An online shop will be up soon! For more info and insight into his work, be sure to follow Nico on Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr!