Rosalind Nzinga Vaughn-Nichol

"I consider myself a storyteller. Using textures, and textiles and  papers my narratives emerge... I am a mixed media artist and papermaker. I have worked in multiple mediums, beginning as a graphic designer. Work in display greatly influenced a love for the versatility of paper as an art medium. Initially prompting work with papier-mâché sculptures and assemblages.

For the past two decades, I have focused on  incorporating vintage lace and textiles into handmade paper which I use in mixed media quilts paintings collages and installations. I inherited an appreciation for repurposing textile and found objects from my grandmother Esther. She recycled  everything from an old garment down to the threads... Nothing in our house was wasted. And I find  something grounding giving things with history new life in my art. Repurposing  also feels like a way to respect the earth. As Axel Vervoordt notes, there is already enough natural and man-made elements on the earth to create from… We don’t have to continue to make more materials.

I think my art is lyrical and spiritual. Mostly abstracted narratives that are intentionally vague. Because I want the viewer to have room to find meaning, with or without, the guidance of my intentions and symbols. Though I feel deeply connected to the complexities of my American and Africana roots, and generally incorporate iconography or textiles from the African diaspora into the work.

I was born in Indiana into a multi-generational family of craftsmen. I studied drawing and painting at Herron School of Art and Design, Indianapolis, IN; received a BFA from California State University, Long Beach; CA; M-Div / MA from Oral Robert, Tulsa, OK