Aleks NIKOLAÏT
Art director and multidisciplinary artist - Paris

I develop projects at the intersection of contemporary art, graphic design, and moving images, drawing on surrealist and brutalist sensibilities and a visual culture rooted in art and fashion.

· Short films from my life

· Some books I made

· A little-bit of my creative space

· Playing with visuals on textiles

· Thesis: Graphic Design & Open-Source

· My c.v to know about my journey

Contact me: aleks.nikolait[@]gmail.com

Last update: May 26 V.8.5 "Confirmation". Website Design & Development: Aleks NIKOLAÏT. Coded in Paris, using HTML5 and CSS3. Special thanks to: Alexandre Meyer, Jeremy Soudant, Martin Lemaire, Géraud Bousquet, Nicolas Moine, Tim Berners-Lee, Adrien Monk, NotiX.

Short films from my life

J'ai pensée à toi, (I was thinking about you,)

  • Synopsis: A conversation between two people who experience an impossible love, as they feel their emotions at different paces, without ever saying anything to each other.
  • Genre: Visual art.
  • Duration: 15 mins.
  • Year: 2025.
Image from J'ai pensée à toi,
Image from J'ai pensée à toi,
Image from J'ai pensée à toi,

Clairement Rassemblé (Clearly United)

  • Synopsis: This film reveals the heart of the preparation for the "Ô les masques" carnival.
  • Genre: Social Documentary.
  • Duration: 30 mins.
  • Year: 2024.
Image from Clairement Rassemblé
Image from Clairement Rassemblé
Image from Clairement Rassemblé
Image from Clairement Rassemblé
Image from Clairement Rassemblé
Image from Clairement Rassemblé

Métanoïa

  • Synopsis: A visual art piece in multiple chapters, this film explores spiritual and philosophical questions. It invites viewers to delve into their own experience of religion and spirituality.
  • Genre: Visual Art.
  • Duration: Festivals: 30 mins. (Director's cut: 60 mins)
  • Year: 2023.
Image from Métanoia
Image from Métanoia
Image from Métanoia
Image from Métanoia
Image from Métanoia
Image from Métanoia

Playing with visuals on textiles

Texture experimentation

  • Photographer: Louis Thoprieux.
  • Model: Albert.
  • Year: 2022.

Some books I made

Tant que le soleil brille (As long as the sun shines)

  • Written by: Ibtissam Madani.
  • Discipline: Printed Work.
  • With: Quentin Mignot.
  • Year: 2024.
Image from Tant que le soleil brille
Image from Tant que le soleil brille
Image from Tant que le soleil brille
Image from Tant que le soleil brille

Ces personnes (n') existent (pas) (These People (Do Not) Exist)

  • Discipline: Printed Work, Augmented Reality.
  • Supervised by: Antoine Stevenot from the studio Spassky Fisher.
  • With: Yuna Müller.
  • Year: 2020.

À la recherche de Melancholia (Looking for Melancholia)

  • Discipline: Printed Work, Interview.
  • specs: 297x420mm, book printed in risography by Quintal in 500 copies.
  • With: Adèle Cluzel.
  • Year: 2020.

La tentation de la forêt (The temptation of the forest)

  • Discipline: Printed Work.
  • Year: 2019.

A little-bit of my creative space

Visuals for the SOS Group association

  • Discipline: 3D, drawing.
  • Year: 2022.
Image for the sos group association
Image for the sos group association

Nrt

  • Discipline: painting.
  • Year: 2021.
Image from nrt
Image from nrt
Image from nrt
Image from nrt

Fast Life, Slow Fashion

  • Discipline: Art Direction, Performance.
  • With: Collectif Poubelles Vulgaires. (Chloé, Félicie, Garence, Mathéo, Donnat)
  • Exhibition: Paris Aime la Mode Engagée.
  • Year: 2019.

Thesis: Graphic Design & Open-Source

Graphisme alternatif (Alternative Graphic Design)

  • Subject: How to liberate graphic designers from proprietary software?
  • Abstract: This master's thesis in Digital Artistic Direction entitled "Alternative Graphic Design" aims to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of graphic designers using proprietary software. This thesis seeks to develop a reflection on graphic designers' dependence on proprietary software and to propose alternatives through experimentation with free and open source software. The analysis of proprietary software highlights the financial costs and restrictions associated with its use, as well as security and confidentiality risks. On the other hand, free and open source software offers greater creative freedom, flexibility in software use, and increased accessibility to professional tools. To support these claims, experiments were conducted with various free and open source software programs such as Inkscape and Kdenlive. The results of these experiments were compared with the results obtained with proprietary software such as Adobe Illustrator and After Effects. Finally, this thesis presents a critical opinion on the use of free and open source software in the field of professional graphic design, as well as recommendations for graphic designers wishing to free themselves from their dependence on proprietary software.
  • Year: 2023.
  • Supervised by: Lucas Lorigeon, Designer & Image Maker.
  • Read the thesis (FR)
  • Listen to the podcast

Curriculum Vitae

Aleks Nikolaït CV

Education

Professional Experience

About My Practice

My journey began at Duperré, where I discovered a more conceptual approach to graphic design—one that values ideas over aesthetics. This foundation was sharpened during my work-study at No Name Agency, where I learned the rigor and precision demanded by professional practice.

I explore the boundaries of visual communication by integrating digital and open-source tools into my process. My work seeks to deconstruct established codes, creating interactive and immersive experiences that challenge viewers' expectations.

Drawing inspiration from Surrealism and Brutalism, I align with Marcel Duchamp's philosophy: the concept must prevail over the visual. Every project I undertake begins with a story, a question, or a friction between ideas—aesthetics emerge as a consequence, not as the goal.

My influences span across disciplines: studios like Golgotha, Wwwesh, Périmètre (Paris), Selam X (Berlin), and Temp (Italy); artists like Virgil Abloh, Takashi Murakami, Mahfuz Sultan, and Frédéric Teschner. Music is integral to my creative process, shaping my sense of rhythm, pacing, and emotional resonance.

I see design as a space for constant experimentation—each project is an opportunity to push the boundaries of digital art and visual identity, always searching for new forms of expression.