Chris Naglik wore a plain, blue t­-shirt. His straight, golden locks framed the sides of his face.

He chose to meet at Imperial, a laid­back restaurant and bar in Ferndale. He ordered chips and salsa and a vegetarian hot dog.

Naglik is a visual artist and musician who currently resides in Detroit. He doesn’t limit his art to just one medium.

“Everything starts with an idea,” Naglik said.

From there, he chooses whatever medium suits that idea best.

“It’s a manifestation of whatever I’m interested in at the moment, of whatever’s challenging or whatever’s stimulating, “ Naglik said.

His most recent piece will be featured in an art show, BYOB (Bring Your Own Beamer), at North End Studios in Detroit on Friday. Beamer, in this case, refers to a projector. 

“FREE_TECHNICAL_ANIMATION_FREE” is the title of his animation that will be showing along with pieces from other local artists.

Naglik has contributed his work to other art shows in the past. The most recent show was Corpus Illuminata: An Anatomic Interpretation at Tangent Gallery in August, also in Detroit.

In Fall of 2013, Naglik graduated from Oakland University with a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art and a specialization in New Media. His minor was in graphic design.

Naglik has been interested in art for as long as he can remember.

“I spent a lot of time in my teens kind of fighting it,” he said. 

Before he chose to pursue a degree in Studio Art, he had spent a few years in an engineering program and one year in a chemistry program.

Naglik said that he had some influences in his life that were pushing him away from pursuing a career in art because financially it might not be a good idea.

“Looking back it was stupid to cave into those influences,” he said.

For several years, Naglik had been a member of the band Cash Phlo until he decided to pursue other options in 2013. Before he joins another band, he is figuring out how to put some of his ideas together. 

He wants his music to be both heavy and sexy.

“The common thread between the two would be this smooth, jazzy vocal,” he said.

Naglik grew up in the Waterford and Clarkston area. In June of 2015, he was able to fulfill his dream of moving to Detroit where there is a prominent art scene. He currently works for

Gentlemen, a Detroit based company, as an animator.

“Detroit is in a unique position in the world where there’s a lot of space and there’s a lot of character,” he said. “There’s a lot of room for things to happen in Detroit.” 

Naglik said he enjoys the specific community that goes along with that.

Although he enjoys living in Detroit, he said he can also see himself living in California, Vegas, and New York. He hopes he is able to continue with a career in art in the future.

Unique environments and unique situations inspire Naglik. He is motivated by the idea of seeing a vision realized and watching it come to life.

“The only thing that’s motivating me is ideas,” he said. “If I genuinely feel like all my ideas are exhausted, I have no new ones, and I’ve said everything I needed to say, then I’m good.”