The Creepy & The Seductive: An Intimate Look into Nika Sandler's Photographic Universe
An Intimate Interview with Artist Nika Sandler
Today, we present a profoundly personal conversation with Nika Sandler, an artist whose work in photography and text fearlessly navigates the unsettling, alluring, and raw edges of human experience. Published in i-D, Libération, and The Calvert Journal, and recently winner of The Photographers' Gallery's Small File Photo Festival, Sandler's work is a vital exploration of the themes of gaze, gender, pleasure, and the "creepy and disgusting."
Her latest series is a direct confrontation with a personal struggle. "On New Year's Eve, I made a wish to immerse myself forever in the sensations that I experienced while taking tranquilizers," she shares. Trapped in what theorist Mark Fisher termed "depressive hedonia"—an inability to do anything but pursue empty pleasure—Sandler turned to her art. "In this series, I depict different types of pleasures and the states associated with them. I create still lifes and environments from objects and substances that are associated with something pleasant and seductive, and sometimes creepy."
Art as a Lifeline
For Sandler, photography was not a casual choice but a critical intervention. When asked about her career beginnings, her answer is starkly honest: "The idea of taking up photography came to me at a psychiatrist's appointment. I needed to divert my attention from obsessive suicidal thoughts. Photography was the first thing that came to my mind. This activity has been a lifesaver for me."
This origin story is the bedrock of her practice—an urgent, necessary act of creation born from a need to survive.
Unconventional Inspirations & A Nocturnal Process
Sandler’s inspirations are as unique as her vision. "Animals inspire me, especially cats. I want to be a cat when I grow up," she says with disarming charm. But it's a specific aesthetic that truly fuels her: "When I see creepy and disgusting images, I want to create." She cites the visceral work of Maisie Cousins, Lucile Boiron, and the duo Christto and Andrew as endless sources of fascination.
Her creative process is an intentional ritual of isolation and altered states. "I work at home at night, alone, drunk. I use improvised items to create works. Then I spend a long time editing photos." This methodical, almost alchemical process transforms mundane, often bodily substances into hauntingly seductive tableaus.
On AI, Wellbeing, and Connection
As an artist deeply engaged with the "non-human gaze," Sandler's perspective on AI is one of curious observation rather than fear. "I am drawn to the creative union of human and non-human agents," she notes, impressed by the work of Charlie Engman and the critical projects of Florian Maas and Maria Mavropoulou. "Curious to see what it will lead to in the future."
When asked about wellbeing, her response is a poignant and powerful reflection of her work's themes: "Unattainable, impossible, unreal."
Despite this, Sandler seeks connection beyond the artwork. She concludes our interview with a heartfelt invitation: "Thank you Leila for this artist interview. I really appreciate receiving feedback, so if readers want to write to me, I'll be very happy to chat with them."
In a world that often feels overwhelmingly polished, Nika Sandler's work and words offer a necessary, unsettling, and deeply human truth.
