By Taijhet Nyobi-Rockett.  Painting by Corinna Nicole

Multicultural and multiracial, Corinna Nicole is an artist that understands inter-sectionality. She was raised in and Near Neu Ulm, South Germany until the age of eight, after which she made the twenty-one hour flight to America finding herself in the warm humid arms of Huntsville, Alabama. With an African-American father and a German mother, Corinna stood out like a hangnail as a child of an interracial marriage. She was often the only biracial student in her class and spoke only German, except for a few commonly used words in English. To add to her marginality she came out as queer in High School. Navigating her multiple identities has given her the strength to speak up against invisibility and oppression.

It wasn’t until college where she switched her major from graphic design to visual arts that she found her voice. She received her BA in Art from the University of Montevallo in 2008. Before graduating, Corinna was asked to have a solo exhibition at the school’s gallery, at which she boldly displayed over 20 pieces dealing with taboo issues such as: interracial couples, gay/lesbian relationships and colorism. In search for a place to hone her talent and a city that would further allow her to push the envelope she stumbled across the San Francisco Bay Area, where so many queer politics and subcultures flourish. Her artistic skill and vision landed her at The University of California Berkeley, where she went on to gain her MFA in Art Practice. This was only the beginning.

For the past two years since graduating from UC Berkeley she has worked intensely with several Bay area based nonprofits and community-based organizations around Queer visibility. Art and politics go hand and hand. Historically, we have seen how art has helped inspire political movements and expand consciousness-raising.

Her art, exquisite in form, is not merely an artistic expression; it is a plea, a request for very necessary conversations around invisibility and emerging identities. “The only way to combat hatred, phobia and violence against non-straight bodies is to create awareness. This is my life work, activism, and passion. I can’t imagine myself in any other career. Nothing else will keep my attention. Queer folks all over are speaking out and up for each other and I am proudly a part of that dialogue. My art is a part of that struggle.”

In person she is reserved and humble but her art speaks volumes against injustice and does not shy away from difficult topics. Her bold and fierce projects will no doubt usher in a generation of Queer and LGBT folks that are ready to be seen and celebrated.