The Diaspora Drawing

Nicole Abuhamada is a visual artist and writer. She uses painting and poetry to depict dream-like realities.  In 2009, Nicole won gold key awards from the Scholastic Art Competition for self-portraits in ink and oils, and a portfolio scholarship for her drawings and paintings. Nicole was awarded scholarships, from the University of Colorado at Boulder for figure painting, and Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design for her portfolio. In 2010, Nicole had a public exhibition of paintings in casein, compiled while studying at Armantrout Studio from 2007-2009.           In 2015, Unbound Morpheum published an abstract figure in oils and a free verse poem by Nicole. In 2016, Nicole's poems, exploring themes of renewal, were published by Sapere Magazine, alongside her interview, “Understanding Art and Poetry.” In 2017, Nicole fulfilled a commission for Cognizant Accelerator of 5 surreal and abstract oil paintings.           In 2020, Nicole earned her associate degree in art from Frederick Community College. Her drawing, a still-life in charcoal and pastel, was published in The Tuscarora Review. Nicole wrote and illustrated a picture book named Lipton Loves, illustrated in conté crayon, published in 2021. She is developing an illustrated book of poetry for her honors thesis. Her paintings and poetry will be published in Wisteria Magazine in 2021. Nicole will earn her bachelor’s degree in Art and Archaeology with a concentration in Studio Art, and in English with a concentration in Creative Writing, from Hood College in 2022.