NKOSI WAN
Nkosi Wan is an artist who focuses his work on the interconnection between cultural experiences and artistic expression. With both historical and contemporary perspectives, he explores the human body in physical form in relation to intangible space. It is this movement that informs much of his visual language.
In 2023, Nkosi received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a primary emphasis in painting and drawing. Over the course of his study, he also served as an instructor for the Department of Art and Design's Introduction to Painting and Introduction to Drawing courses. He acquired his Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from Southeast Missouri State University in 2020.
Nkosi has been featured in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Parallel Thoughts exhibition, The In Art Gallery's 2nd Annual Painting Exhibition, and Art STL's 27th Annual Varsity Art Exhibition.
He has received the Rose Marie Saachi Award in painting, the Hampton Coleman Richardson Smith Award for Academic Excellence, and the Research Grant for Graduate Students for his work in art as a visual commentary on the othering of Black minds, bodies, and culture.
Nkosi Wan's paintings, sculptures, and interactive installations employ elements of magical realism and scale to both reflect deeper truths an undeniable elegance. While his work does at times confront the painful, it is often coupled with reflections on the joyful, the healing, and the sacred.