In this world, intuition meets creativity, turning art into a practice of reflection and renewal.

Maya Nicole is a self-taught intuitive artist from New York. She explores emotions, identity, and transformation through layered mixed-media pieces, combining paint, pastel, broken mirrors, gemstones, and other textures. Her work is tactile, sensory, and designed to reflect the human experience—vulnerability, resilience, and self-discovery. Her art serves as a medium for transmuting complex emotions, embracing authenticity and empowering others to reflect and connect deeply with their own experiences.

With a background in international business and professional experience in experiential marketing, digital strategy, and community programming, Maya brings the ability to design and lead workshops, exhibitions, and collaborative projects. She has partnered with cultural institutions and brands like the Brooklyn Public Library, Kin Euphorics, Blick Art Materials, and Drink Wynk to create immersive experiences that connect audiences to themselves and each other. She has also curated events at Black owned businesses like; The Juicy Box Bar, WRLD STUDIOS, BedStuy Art House to name a few! It’s always important to shout out those in the same lane as you.

Alongside her practice, Maya runs Studio 51, a Brooklyn-based art studio and community space with deep roots. Once a residential basement, she transformed it into a hub of creativity with hand-painted murals, lime-washed walls, and thrifted design details. Studio 51 is both her personal sanctuary for making art and a gathering space “for the free thinkers,” hosting open studios, vinyl listening nights, intimate dinners, and immersive events via Peerspace.

The Artist and Her Practice

My work flows through acrylic painting, clay, film photography, visual storytelling, abstract furniture, murals, creative events, and more. Across mediums, I uncover and share my truths—complex, layered, and deeply felt. Creating art is how I understand my inner world, a therapeutic process that turns feeling into form.

But my art isn’t just for me. I believe there are others whose thoughts and emotions flow in parallel. Once my work enters the public, it becomes a mirror—a space for reflection, recognition, and discovery. I was bold enough to share mine.

What bold action will you take?

For Curious Minds …

  • When you look at my art, it asks you to pause, to notice, and to see your own story through a new lens. Each piece is a mirror, reflecting back pieces of yourself that are waiting to be recognized. I share my perspective with bold confidence, but the true meaning lives in what you discover within it. Even the simple act of being curious and open creates a shift—leaving you more aware, more connected, than before you arrived.

  • Absolutely. There’s no “right” or “wrong” way to experience my work. Once a piece is out there and I’ve shared a little about it, it’s yours to feel however it lands. I hope my truth sparks something for you—whatever that may be—and gives you a little fuel to explore your own.

  • Every material I use carries a voice. Broken mirrors catch light and fracture reflection, while shiny faux gems add a playful brilliance that speaks to adornment, desire, and resilience. These “blingy” elements aren’t about being precious in the traditional sense—they’re about accessibility, performance, and the power of sparkle to carry meaning no matter its origin.

    My practice goes beyond paint and brushes. I work with my hands, with makeup brushes, threads, fragments of jewelry, photo cutouts, Bible paper, and whatever else I feel guided to include. Sometimes I close my eyes to choose a color or let the first object that falls into my space decide its place on the canvas. These intuitive acts keep me open, letting the process guide me rather than forcing control.

    For me, each object—whether it’s a rhinestone, a mirror shard, or a piece of paper—becomes an entry point into the story. They layer and shift, deepening the substance of the work. Once a viewer invests in the sensory experience, those fragments and voices have the potential to become mirrors, reflecting back new truths, curiosity, or awareness that belongs entirely to them.

  • Art doesn’t have to be passive. Whether it’s in a show, a workshop, or a project I run, I try to make space for you to explore, interact, and reflect. You can step in, notice yourself, and maybe even take something new away. It’s all about connection and seeing things from a fresh perspective.