The Labor of Opening

Mixed media

Zsudayka Nzinga is a mixed media artist and designer from Denver, CO, currently residing in Washington, DC. Her portrait work features acrylic, decorative paper, hand dyed paper, fabric, oil bars, charcoal, pigment and linocut stamp. She also creates sculptures. Nzinga fuses traditional art forms passed through the Diaspora to create work which speaks to the power of history and how visual art aides in defining culture and identity. Her subjects are Black Americans and often women, placed in regal and empowering poses and scenes. Her work mimics African American stich patterns and expounds traditional southern textile pattern methods. Her collage work is hand torn and arranged to create colorful and highly patterned people and scenes who resemble fabric. Her interest in fabric and textiles is why her subjects are clothed in intricately designed patterns. The designs mimic the history and style of African Ankara fabric and introduces bright color and patterns to high end clothing designs.