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.
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.
Nia has exhibited across Southern California in spaces such as the University Art Gallery at UC Irvine-- where she earned her BA in Art--Loiter Galleries, Sip & Sonder, Rancho Los Cerritos, and Stay Studio, where she presented her first solo exhibition, What Carries Us, 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 both 2024 and 2025.
In addition to her studio practice, Nia is currently an art teacher, educating grades TK-8th grade through Teach For America while pursuing her MA in Transformative Education at Loyola Marymount University, continuing her commitment to building an equitable future for inner-city youth. facilitates workshops and community dialogues that celebrate vulnerability and self-expression in Black communities.
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.