Nicole Dixon

Artist Statement

Art as ritual is a core element of my practice. Navigating this world as a Black woman, I use art to find the transcendent purpose of my experiences and create cathartic figures. Each mixed media material has its own resonance, and the layering reflects the complexity of the subject matter. The natural, cultural, and spiritual symbols reflect, embolden, and honor the figures. I hope viewers walk away associating unapologetic blackness with beauty, power, abundance, and spirit.

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Nicole Dixon is an Oakland native, who in 2002 earned a BA in Studio Art from Spelman College in Atlanta. Since her first commission in 1995, her work has evolved into mixed-media pieces that center and pay homage to black experiences and identity. In addition to a robust exhibition history, she has been a Montessori preschool teacher for decades, and teaching art has taken her as far as the Kalahari as a guest art instructor.

Artist Recommended Resources

• Read: Salt (2013) and Nejma (2015), by Nayyirah Waheed
• Read: The Gift (1999), by Hafiz
• Visit: National Park Service: About the Trees
• Visit: Adinkra Index