A boy who grew up in the northern zone of S\u00e3o Paulo, Kali was very pragmatic when choosing a college major: economics. \u201cIt was the easiest way to get a job,\u201d people told him, and he told himself the same. But the boy wanted to fly (childhood dream number two: to become a pilot). \u201cI thought about this immense country and believed I would only get to know it if I flew a plane myself,\u201d he recalls, excited. Enthusiasm, by the way, is one of his trademarks. In the end, the way to make this dream possible was to become a flight attendant, which became his profession for a while.<\/p>\n\n\n
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When he moved to Paris to study, he found himself in the world. That was his place\u2014the culture, the people, the language, everything just clicked! And he stayed. Moving meant selling a small apartment in S\u00e3o Paulo to fund his life and studies there. After graduating, he landed a job in high-end French jewelry and for years worked a 9-to-5, earning a good salary with weekends free to enjoy leisure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the young man already carried a certain restlessness, beginning to sketch, mix colors, and experiment with his art (childhood dream number three: to become an artist! By the way, in his Praia Grande studio he keeps his very first painting, made in 1967). He started taking risks, exhibiting one piece here, another there, gradually appearing on the French art scene. \u201cBut it still wasn\u2019t enough to make a living,\u201d he says. He is immensely grateful for the help he received from C\u00edcero Dias, a major figure in Brazilian modernism who passed away in 2003 in Paris. \u201cHe was the one who motivated me to hold small exhibitions in city halls to start gaining visibility,\u201d he recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"Nikko](\"https:\/\/anba.com.br\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/nikko--769x1024.jpeg\")
The turning point came in 1994, when he held an exhibition at the Expo UNESCO at the agency\u2019s headquarters in Paris. \u201cI sold four major works, then I made a decision: I resigned, saved money, and decided to dedicate myself entirely to art.\u201d Recognition in Brazil came later, in 2009, when he received the Gold Medal from the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Acad\u00e9mique des Arts, Sciences et Lettres, awarded by the French Academy under the patronage of the President of France. Three years later, he was honored in Brazil with the Emperor\u2019s Grenadier Medal, presented by the 1st Guards Battalion of Rio de Janeiro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On his fantastic and colorful journey, Kali had experiences that enrich his work, like the year he lived in India during the 1990s, which left a deep mark on the way he exists in the world. The spiritual lessons he received there stay with him to this day\u2014in fact, the name Nikko Kali was born that Indian year, blessed by a local numerologist and by the Goddess Kali, the Hindu deity of transformation, whose temple was on the way to his home in New Delhi (he does not reveal his birth name).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And although he is only now entering the Emirati market, Nikko lived in Dubai back in 1995. \u201cI\u2019m simply fascinated by other cultures and by learning,\u201d explains the artist, who has also lived in Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Art for everyone<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOf all the work he\u2019s done throughout his life, being an art educator for children was one of the most instructive. \u201cTheir view of art\u2014pure, unshaped\u2014is the best thing an artist can experience. They don\u2019t look for explanations; they create their own meanings,\u201d he says. He no longer works with children, but he always seeks that perspective to free himself from empty or harsh criticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite the high cost of his works and the whole millionaire world of collectors, he champions making art accessible to everyone, placing it in public spaces, and encouraging children to visit museums from an early age. In 2024, he held an exhibition at the Pal\u00e1cio das Artes in Praia Grande, now his second home. As usual, Kali spent the first days wandering through the space, watching who came to see his works in the free exhibition. One day, he noticed a young man in flip-flops and a cap studying one of his paintings closely. Nikko approached and struck up a conversation. The young man, a homeless alcoholic, was fascinated by what he saw and described the painting to its creator as if he had painted it himself. \u201cWithout knowing anything about art, he revealed everything to me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Visit:
<\/em>Website<\/a> \u2013 Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/em>Website<\/a> \u2013 Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n