Westerville South senior, Naomi Nathan has a passion for art that not everyone has and shares her experiences through her artwork. 

Ever since preschool, she has enjoyed art. “It started from me constantly coloring,” she said. Nathan is now 18,  her artwork has progressed, and now sells clothing items she has painted on and other items she has created. 

February is an important month for Nathan. “It’s a month that values and shines a light on black culture and history,” she said. “It allows others to educate themselves on certain topics that are important and that need to be addressed.”

Nathan shares her own personal experiences through her artwork. “Topics such as Black Lives Matter, racism, and inequality influence my art because I can put my whole self into the artwork, put my own pain into the artwork,” she said.

Kehinde Wiley, a famous artist is one of many that Nathan admires. “I love that he portrays black men in a sense of royalty and delicacy”, she said.  

Nathan has decided to not go to art school once she graduates but will be attending Loyola University Chicago where she will be majoring in social work.