Nektarios Kanakis

Hi, I’m Nektarios and I love watercolor and travel sketching! I also love eating, traveling, K-pop, and learning languages, so I try my best to incorporate these interests into my art.

Featured

Watercolor

My San Mateo 9”x24” (watercolor, ink)

A street view of my city reimagined to celebrate its diversity and food scene.

2025 Congressional Art Competition · Winner, CA-15

City 9”x12” (watercolor, ink)

An imaginary city filled with architecture reflecting my values and identity.

Night Market 12”x9” (watercolor, ink)

A scene of a Taiwanese night market that shows the vibrancy and variety of Taipei's nightlife.

2026 Scholastic Gold Key

Still Life 8”x10” (watercolor, ink)

A still life of objects that represent my identity, combined with elements to show my imagination.

Shifen 8”x10” (watercolor, ink)

An image of Shifen Village in Taiwan made to resemble a travel advertisement.

Observational

Crepe 8”x10” (watercolor, colored pencil)

A still life of a crepe made without sketching to practice more expressive observation.

Sunday + Pumpkin 3”x5” & 3”x5” (watercolor)

Two paintings of family cats made to practice creating texture through value and color.

June 30 (ink, marker)

A live drawing of my dorm at RISD precollege done early in the morning, with a written record of the day.

July 8 (ink, marker)

A drawing of me and some friends after eating at a restaurant, with a written record of the day.

July 9 (ink, marker)

A live drawing of a friend's messy desk, with a written record of the day.

July 18 (ink, marker)

A live drawing of my friends done to practice gesture drawing and use of color, with a written record of the day.

July 21 (marker)

A live drawing of my friend and the food we ordered made to practice using color to indicate value, with a written record of the day.

July 25 (ink, marker)

A drawing of my friends at a restaurant, with a written record of the day.

July 29 (ink, marker)

A series of drawings of some friends made to practice gesture drawing, with a written record of the day.

2025 Sketchbook (ink, marker)

A series of live observational drawings made to commemorate different moments in 2025, showing various styles of drawing.

Shoes 18”x24” (charcoal)

A charcoal still life made for class.

Conceptual

This Is Food 9”x12” (watercolor, gouache)

A series of posters meant to reflect my relationship with food.

Character Sheet 17”x11” (Procreate)

A roster of my classmates made to resemble unique video game characters.

Pineapple Cake 16”x20” (Collage, acrylic)

A collaged poster for Taiwanese pineapple cakes marketed to a Greek audience, combining the two sides of my heritage. Photos were staged and printed myself.

Music Collage 24”x36” (collage, acrylic, chalk, marker)

A collage made with tickets, receipts, and custom drawings inspired by a curated playlist that represents my identity, values, and interests.

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