Hi, I'm Nina.

Born in Moscow in 1980, I hold a BFA from Pratt Institute and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art, and also trained in Italy and Russia. I paint oil portraits of jazz musicians whose stories expanded what the music could sound and look like.

Each canvas distills its source — often a mid-century album-cover photograph — into a single dominant color: the tilt of a chin, the curl of cigarette smoke, the quiet confidence of someone who belongs at the instrument.

I live between Denver and Brooklyn. Alongside painting I run From the Hip Photo, a commercial photography studio, and Kissa Kissa. Find me on Instagram. ♥