Joanna Nixon

Studio Street Address Detail: 576 3rd Ave (3rd Ave + 15th St) 3rd Floor Stair access only

Artist Statement: My art comes from survival, memory, humor, and the belief that love is still the answer. I create comics from inside prison, drawing from the absurd, painful, funny, and human situations that unfold behind concrete and steel. My work does not aim to insult or belittle anyone. It is meant to share experience, offer understanding, and guide people, even for a moment, into a world many have never seen. Because I can no longer read or write, my process depends on listening. I draw the images first, carrying them in my mind before putting them on paper. Then I invite others to help me shape the words, especially the simple sentences and speech bubbles that bring the characters to life. In this way, my comics become both personal and communal, made from what I see, what I remember, and what others are willing to help me say. I have spent years making art in a place designed to erase people’s dignity. Through my comics, I try to protect that dignity. I want readers to laugh, feel, recognize themselves, and understand that even in prison, people are still dreaming, caring, changing, and trying to become better. My art is my offering: a record of my life, a doorway through the walls, and a reminder that truth can survive almost anywhere.

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