I first met fine artist Kymia Nawabi at her graduate thesis show while we were both students at the University of Florida (we later became roommates when I first moved to New York). I was immediately drawn to her large scale mixed media work, filled with texture, disfigured bodies and limbs, swirling around in a controlled chaos. The pieces felt like surreal dreams or memories, deeply personal and sometimes bizarre or disturbing.

Kymia’s latest work continues to explore new narratives and mythologies with expertly rendered figures, beautiful lines and intricate detail. I’m constantly blown away by her skilled use of different mediums, her drawing ability and the conceptual nature of her work. Her talents were on full display in 2011 as winner of Bravo’s reality competition show “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist”, resulting in a solo exhibition at The Brooklyn Museum. You can find more of Kymia’s work at www.kymianawabi.com.