Nicotye Samayualie
I have nominated Nicotye Samayualie as an “Artist to Know” for several reasons. She has a thoughtful and diligent focus that she applies to her daily routine of creating art, imbuing her work with a sensitivity and an order that is all her own. To my mind, Nicotye has a special ability as an artist to occupy a space outside of the busy pace of daily life, allowing her to look in on and reflect back a way of life and the passage of time. The artist often revisits subjects, including a personal favourite of mine: overviews of shorelines. She is meticulous in drawing each pebble and crevice, positioning them as though it were a chess match. And while her landscapes have a serenity to their composition, there is always an urgency in her line. I am regularly struck with how Nicotye’s imagery of the natural environment reminds me of Japanese prints. There is a precision and calmness that comes through, which borders on the abstract. It is my hope that Nicotye will have the opportunity to work internationally and that she will delight in a career as an artist. In a recent conversation with her, she told me her long-term goal is to work with the youth in the community, to mentor them in the act of creativity. Already, she is thinking as an elder.