Drawing, Dreams and the Wonderous Strange explores the intersection of energetic mark-making and the artist’s passion for speculative fiction. By blending real-life observations with inspirations from dreams, Nicholas Grassi constructs ambiguous, mysterious, and fantastical landscapes through an intuitive drawing and painting process.
The series is motivated by a unique synthesis of the artist's core influences. Energetic dynamism is characterized by bold, rhythmic strokes endowing each piece with a vibrant, living pulse. His speculative vision is rooted in a deep love for science fiction and fantasy, allowing the work to transcend the boundaries of the real. He invites the viewer to immerse themselves in new, magical realms that serve as portals into the unknown.
Seventeen mixed-media artworks were exhibited at the New York Studio School in May, 2026. Ten are presented in this online presentation. The series comprises mostly large-scale paintings and drawings that pack motion and chaos onto expansive surfaces.
Grassi’s process begins by sketching people in public and private, continuously redrawing them to capture shifting positions and build intense visual energy. This kinetic mark-making vocabulary translates into abstract environments where liminal spaces, flora, and creatures emerge from dark, atmospheric voids of the subconscious. Through an obsessive cycle of drawing, erasing and rebuilding, gestural architectural structures and the passage of time is physically manifested, and the soul of the city is found. Just as an ancient stone staircase retains the energetic fingerprint of human foot traffic, these real and imagined landscapes serve as windows to understand reality and explore surreal, alternative worlds.
Panoramic View of Otherworld, 2026 • chalk pastel, water-soluble graphite, graphite, charcoal, colored charcoal, and sumi ink on paper • 22 x 139.5 inches • $3,950
Inter-Temporal Space, 2026 • chalk pastel, charcoal, colored charcoal, conte crayon, acrylic paint, sumi and acrylic ink, and collaged paper on paper • 82.5 x 79.5 inches • $6,500
Grassi’s series showcases an impulsive, subtractive drawing technique driven by a fertile imagination. He approaches his work with a vital sense of urgency, striving to capture ephemeral observations before they vanish. This immediacy fuses with his subconscious, resulting in compositions defined by striking three-dimensional depth, rich textures, and a masterful range of values.
To translate the energetic essence of his non-objective artworks, Grassi has developed a distinctive vocabulary of marks. This unique visual lexicon integrates rigorous sensory methods, personal symbols originating from his childhood, and a ten-year dream diary, all rendered through diverse media applications.
Vortex, 2026 • chalk pastel, conte crayon graphite, charcoal, acrylic paint, and collaged paper on paper • 8.5 x 10.5 inches • $600
Orange Android, 2026 • acrylic paint, chalk pastel, charcoal, colored charcoal, conte crayon, graphite, marker, gel pen and collage paper on canvas • 30 x 30 inches • $2,500
“The larger my surface is, the more chaos I can pack into my work, and the more excited I get.“
-Nicholas Grassi
A City in Motion, 2026 • charcoal, colored charcoal, conte crayon, graphite, and water soluble graphite on paper • 59 × 44.25 inches •$3,150 • On Hold
Magic City, 2026 • Charcoal, pastel, graphite, Sumi ink, collage on paper • 8ft 7 inches x 25ft 3 inches • $22,500
Apparition of a City • acrylic paint, sumi and acrylic ink, chalk pastel, charcoal, marker, gel pen, graphite, collaged paper and plastic sheets on canvas • 20 x 38 inches • $2,400
Cloud Factory, 2026 • chalk pastel, charcoal, graphite, water and acrylic paint on paper • 19 × 26 inches • $1200
Water Dragon, 2026 • Conte crayon, chalk pastel, color charcoal, charcoal, graphite, marker, gel pen, acrylic ink, acrylic paint, collaged paper on canvas mounted to masonite • 88 × 62 inches • $7,500
Divide, 2026 • conte crayon, colored charcoal, chalk pastel, graphite, gel pen, marker, acrylic and sumi ink, acrylic paint, collage on paper • 8 x 14.75 inches • $650