About

Guardians for a Fragmented World

Nik Baeyens creates paintings that function as contemporary guardians.

His monumental figures are not classical angels, but animal-like presences that embody protection, awareness, and balance in an increasingly fragmented world.

Rooted in mythology, instinct, and collective memory, Baeyens uses animal symbolism as a universal visual language. His painted guardians combine strength and vulnerability: alert, grounded, and quietly imposing. They do not console or preach; they observe. Their gaze is steady, their presence unmistakable.

Although the works carry an almost sculptural weight, they remain firmly pictorial. Through layered surfaces, restrained color palettes, and carefully controlled composition, Baeyens creates images that feel timeless rather than illustrative. The figures seem to emerge from the canvas, suspended between the real and the symbolic.

His work avoids religious dogma, yet touches something archetypal. These guardians are not bound to a specific belief system or culture. They stand as metaphors for humanity’s need for orientation, resilience, and reconnection with nature.

Rather than offering answers, the paintings act as a wake-up call 

a quiet but insistent reminder of responsibility in a world that has lost its compass.