Nikki Orana Rvachew

[she/they]

BEd, 5th year

Orana (she/they) is originally from Tkaronto (Toronto), but has been making art in Mohkinstsis since moving out west with her family as a child. She enjoys creating natural scenes, people, and whimsical creatures.

She has been designing posters for the Alchemy Drama Festival at the University of Calgary since 2023. In 2024, she was honoured to be one of BUMP’s Roadworks artists, designing work to be viewed across the city.

She hopes to showcase themes of acceptance, intimacy, and love, with nature at the forefront of her work.

Not a Monster, 2020, Watercolour, 20" x 14"

This piece touches on the idea of being misunderstood. Everyone makes snap judgements on the people they meet, and sometimes these judgements are to keep us safe, while other times they can further exclude our most marginalized and underserved communities. Animals are also given these same judgements, despite not ascribing to our same human feelings of morality. I wanted this piece to show that there is more than meets the eye.