Johann Nikadimus - RUSSIA

Photos by Marina Vasilevskaya

Johann Nikadimus is a Russian artisan living in Serbia. He was born in the city of Kazan and spent most of his life in Moscow, where he developed as an artist and built a modest career in the fashion industry. In recent years, he has been living in the small city of Novi Sad in Serbia.

Johann has no formal art education, he is self-taught. Johann left his career in retail and has been studying a rare ancient type of pearl embroidery for the last 10 years. He hand sews copies of traditional historical women's headdresses, which were mainly in use in the north of Russia until the end of the 19th century, and he also makes modern gala tiaras under his brand KEY, which he embroiders according to his own design, carefully preserving the ancient embroidery techniques.

He uses modern and antique materials in his works: pearls, velvet, chintz, brocade. The philosophy of his work is to revive archaic craftsmanship and present it in a more relevant way. Therefore, Johann Nikadimus collaborates with fashion photographers, celebrities and clothing designers. Often his works are interior objects.

During his career, Johann Nikadimus has taken part in a large number of international exhibitions and biennials, he worked with the jewellery brand Cartier and is an honorary member of the Homo Faber project of the Swiss Michelangelo Foundation. Johann's example and his educational programs have become an inspiring experience for many designers in Russia, which has allowed the forgotten traditional embroidery technique to be revived and given a new life.

At XTANT, the artisan will bring several of his works and will be able to tell in more detail about his embroidery in a historical and modern context.

@j.nikadimus

jnikadimus.com