BIOGRAPHY

Nia Simone (b. 2001) is a visual artist and educator whose work explores the emotional landscapes of Black life through drawing, painting, and storytelling. Raised between Compton, New Jersey, and Columbus, Ohio, her art is shaped by a lifelong tension between belonging and displacement—an experience that fuels her commitment to centering the intimate, often overlooked aspects of Black identity.

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Working across oil, acrylic, pen, and colored pencil, Nia’s pieces unfold in layered, surreal scenes that reflect the weight of generational grief, the complexity of family dynamics, and the quiet power of inner life. Her handwritten texts, diaristic fragments, and sociological references act as both commentary and invitation—refusing flat narratives of excellence or trauma in favor of emotional nuance, spiritual honesty, and cultural specificity.

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Nia has exhibited across Southern California in spaces such as Catalyst Gallery at UC Irvine, Salon Medusa, Sip & Sonder, Rancho Los Cerritos, and Stay Gallery, where she will present her upcoming solo exhibition All of It Is Ours in June 2025. Her work has been featured in group shows exploring themes of liberation, memory, and social critique, including Rethinking the American Cowboy, FREEDOM, and Where There’s Rubble There’s Treasure. She has assisted in curating community-focused exhibitions and served as a Fine Arts judge for the OC Fair in 2024 and again in 2025.

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In addition to her studio practice, Nia leads workshops and community dialogues that affirm the power of vulnerability and self-expression in Black and Brown spaces. She is completing her BA in Art at the University of California, Irvine and will begin teaching in Los Angeles through Teach For America in Fall 2025.

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At the heart of Nia’s practice is the belief that art can be both an archive and a sanctuary—a place where the fullness of Black life is not explained, but felt.