I think of creativity as a primal impulse, a driving force of life. Curiosity is the spark that ignites a relentless quest, a desire to explore ideas, processes, materials, aesthetics and technology.
The process originates from an encounter with mystery, a boundless space where I’m in touch with subtle energies and the intrinsic beauty of all things. It can be a contemplative moment, or visceral journey through the underbelly of the self in search of paths to transcendence, or an adventure of discovery through imaginary realms. It’s an intuitive, spontaneous and unpredictable flow. It’s a moment of tangible connection with the whole.
My thoughts are perfectly expressed by Jerry Uelsmann: “The role of the artist is not to resolve life’s mysteries, but to deepen them.”
INTERALIA MAGAZINE - An Encounter with Mystery - Interview July 2021
Nila Onda was born in Rome and spent her formative years pursuing her passion for art, music, dance and science. A young cinephile and self-taught photographer, Nila built her first darkroom at age fifteen and developed a strong interest in chemistry, that led her to study alternative processes with Peter Fredrick, inventor of the Tempera Print Process.
After attaining her BA from IED (European Institute of Design), Nila moved to London where she has spent most of her adult life working in film and television production - delivering image content for documentary, news & current affairs - and as a film and photography lecturer at Westminster-Kingsway College.
Her work has been exhibited in New York (Urban Space Gallery), London (The Lux Centre) and auctioned for charity in Rome.
In 2016, she was the recipient of the Black and White Spider Award in the category of silhouette. She has also received nominations in the categories of architectural, nature and still life. In 2017 her work was nominated in the category of wildlife.
Her series “As Above So Below” is part of the permanent SciArt Initiative exhibit “The Void and the Cloud.”
Her commercial work focusses on portraiture, arts & entertainment and scientific photography.
She currently resides in New York City.