ART EXCURSIONS - ART EXHIBITIONS - CULTURAL IMMERSION & INTEGRATION

Nicole Grant

 Solo Artist at Borgo Di Gusto 2026 Festival in Abruzzo, Italy

Unicoleartistry@aol.com

About the Artist 

•  Nicole Grant is a social worker, an entrepreneur and a visual artist. She discovered her passion for art as a child, using creativity to express her thoughts, emotions, and experiences. It was during her high school years at Fort Myers, Florida, when an art teacher recognized and encouraged her artistic talent. She later earned a bachelor's degree in Community Psychology with a minor in Fine Art from Florida State University. 

• After stepping away from creating art for several years, Nicole returned to her practice in 2017 with renewed purpose, specializing in both clay sculpture and paintings. She views art as both a personal language and a healing practice—a visual diary that documents her memories, life experiences, and spiritual journey. She describes the creative process as a time to disconnect from the outside world and reconnect with herself and God, allowing each work to emerge organically rather than through deliberate pursuit. 

• A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Nicole's artwork is deeply rooted in her Jamaican heritage and reflects the people, culture, and communities that have shaped her life. Her compositions are distinguished by vibrant colors, rhythmic movement, and recurring hues of black, red, gold, yellow, and green. These colors symbolize her commitment to education, her ancestral roots, cultural heritage, and her enduring connection to the force that governs us all. Through each piece, Nicole invites viewers to experience a visual expression of resilience, identity, healing, and hope. She is the owner of UniCole Artistry, a creative business in Connecticut, USA where she also resides. Her works are exhibited at galleries in Italy and the USA. 

Title : “Heart of Wood and Water” 

Clay Masks and Paintings

• “The works in this collection were created during a visit to Jamaica. The purpose of the trip in Jamaica was to connect and care for my mother, who resides there. Although Jamaica is a beautiful country and my visits are typically joyous occasions, my mother's deteriorating health filled this journey with profound sadness. As my mother battles a serious illness, she is also unable to leave Jamaica, known by our Indigenous ancestors as the "Land of Wood and Water". Her inability to travel overseas means I do not have immediate access to care for her directly. As an adult daughter with children of my own, I—like many women—am expected to be as strong as wood, carrying the burden that comes with the pain of an ill mother who could die at any moment. I am also expected to be adaptable and resilient, embodying the power and fluidity of water. So, I continue fulfilling my responsibilities at home and at work in another country, even as I am witnessing my mother fading day by day. My hope is that this body of work connects with someone whose story is similar to mine.”