We were lucky to catch up with Nikki Orlowski recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Nikki thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

By far, the most meaningful piece I’ve done so far in my career was my: Queer Icons mural. i was approached by Toledo Pride to do a mural for the new Pride Center located on Collingwood Avenue in Toledo. Once completed, the Pride Center would host monthly meetings and youth outreach opportunities. They said they wanted something Rainbow or LGBTQIA+ related. The finished mural was 4 feet tall spanning 25 feet. I included portraits of queer trailblazers who have done something for our community,. Although this started out as a Commissioned Project, it very quickly became deeply personal.. Many of these iconic figures are no longer with us as as some have succumbed to the endless violence that is targeted towards our community, others through illness. I focused on people that have made a impact through their bravery, self-sacrifice and advocacy., As a local Trans Activist/ Advocate for my community i wanted to focus on people we don’t often see in the media representing us so i focused on the bipoc and trans community.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I have always been passionate about art. I think volunteering at my local zoo really helped establish my passion for wildlife and wildlife art but i realized what i really loved was anatomy and how the body moves and flows. Eventually I moved on to include the human figure. The human figure, makes up most of my current work. While I still love wildlife art I do love how expressive the human form can be. Growing up queer you notice how people perceive you and how different you perceive the world. The one thing that I noticed about art is that the male form always has to be in such stoic or masculine poses I wanted to break that archetype and show the male form can be just as beautiful in relaxed and more intimate poses. At this time i was still drawing the female form and would always get comments on how i should stick with that. I think I put a lot of my own emotions and internalized struggles with gender identity into my work often escaping into fantasy and surrealism with these beautiful femme figures and opposing male figures. I would often incorporate wildlife anatomy or structures we see in nature mixed into the figures i think this is what sets my work apart and my attention to the intricate details whether it be the structures of anatomy or details in brocade fabric.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think the most rewarding thing is seeing the initial reaction to my art, watching people fall in love with my work. This feels surreal especially when someone says they see themselves in my art. It is an honor to hear that I have made an impact on someone. The most recent memory of this is when I finished a commissioned oil painting of a person that had recently passed away and the tears on his mother’s and sister’s faces when I presented the completed work to them.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My ultimate mission is to create art on a full time basis; for people to enjoy and connect deeply with my work as much as I do. To sum it up, I want to make beautiful art and connect with people.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: nikkiohmy09
• Facebook: nikki orlowski