That gained Nikifor some fame among the Kapists, a group of young painters formed around Józef Pankiewicz.

In 1938 Jerzy Wolff did publish an enthusiastic review of Nikifor's art in the (Polish) editing house Wydawnictwo ''Arkady'' monthly, and purchased some of his works.

In 1947 Nikifor was deported during Operation Vistula, where the Lemko and Ukrainian minorities were forcibly resettled by the communist regime to northern and western Poland, away from their ancestral homelands in the southeast.

The latter decided to devote his career and life to helping the elderly artist and promoted his works in the major galleries of Poland.

During his early life Nikifor received care at a local hospital in Krynica and paid for the services with his paintings.

Nikifor's art explored themes such as self-portraits and panoramic views of Krynica, and its Orthodox and Catholic churches.

His meticulous renderings vary from packed compositions, where every inch of the paper is covered with pencil strokes, to more spacious works which invite the viewer to ponder what might be absent.

In 1968, Polish folk-rock group No To Co released an album titled "Nikifor" featuring a tribute song to the artist by the same name.