A SHARED VISION
Creating a sense of place takes a shared vision. Our collaboration with Belgian artist Marty Matthys brings fine art into conversation with the places we build, exploring how thoughtful details can evoke feeling, invite discovery and create a lasting connection.
THE ARTIST
A closer look.
A deeper connection.
Originally from Damme and based near Gent, Marty creates intricate drawings in which human figures, animals and natural forms intertwine. Working primarily with pen and ink, he explores what it means to be human: the tension between strength and vulnerability, melancholy and hope, intimacy and distance. His background in visual arts and art therapy informs a practice attentive to the experiences we share but cannot always put into words.
Each drawing develops through patient observation and the accumulation of lines. Figures that appear whole from a distance reveal unexpected fragility on closer inspection, sometimes merging with their surroundings. Nature becomes a language through which Marty explores our inner lives, leaving space for viewers to find their own meaning. His work has been exhibited across Belgium, including presentations in Antwerp, Gent, Brussels and Damme.
More about Marty ↗AN UNFOLDING JOURNEY
Between fear
and possibility.
Bringing his work to the United States marks another chapter in Marty’s own journey of self-discovery. Sharing his art in an unfamiliar setting means stepping into the same uncertainty his drawings explore: the tension between fear and hope, the vulnerability of pursuing a dream, and the possibility of discovering something unexpected along the way. As his work finds a place in new surroundings, it opens new connections—with others and with his own sense of what is possible.
ART & BUILDING
The care in
every detail.
We bring a similar attentiveness to building. Materials, light, texture and proportion work together to shape how a space feels, just as individual marks give depth and character to a drawing. Through our collaboration with Marty, we consider art as part of that experience: something that can prompt a moment of recognition, change the way we see our surroundings and make a place feel personal.
Together, these creative practices reflect what we hope to build at Nimi: places that reward a closer look, encourage connection and stay with people over time.
Explore Marty’s work ↗All artwork © Marty Matthys. Selected works shown from the artist’s portfolio.
ON THE WORK
A profile published by Art & Frame Center in Bruges describes his work as offering “a powerful language where words fall short.” In an interview with the Flemish arts publication OKV, Marty reflects on the significance of someone choosing to live with his artwork—and his curiosity about the new story it acquires wherever it hangs. That relationship between art, place and personal experience is at the heart of our collaboration.
Read the OKV interview · In Dutch ↗