About

Nisha Kaur Sethi is an artist/activist born and raised in Berkeley, California. As a woman of color who is deeply invested in uplifting her community, Nisha’s work serves as seeds for the resistance in which bright, bold lettering and images dance their way into the streets where they echo the chants and songs of the people. Early on, Nisha developed a passion for typography and was deeply influenced by childhood trips to her motherland India where she was exposed to the fascinating world of hand-painted film posters. Back home in the Bay Area, Nisha was brought up in the graffiti scene, gravitating towards street art with powerful messages. 

Having studied graphic design at San Francisco State University, Nisha’s work weaves together digital and analog practices to create mixed media art focusing on social change. Found object art also plays an important role in Nisha’s ethos of creating sustainable work from recycled materials. Paper and wood are used to create collages and hand-painted signs; reclaiming and breathing new life into objects that have otherwise been discarded.

Nisha’s art serves as a call to action while constantly being informed by iconic political art and movements from the 1960’s. Her hand-painted posters have been carried by thousands of protestors at the Women’s March, March for Our Lives, UTLA Teacher’s Strike, and Global Climate Strike. She is also a printmaker and clothing designer for her brand, Kalakari, where her work is manifested into wearable art.

Having worked closely under the mentorship of industry leader Doc Guthrie at one of the last surviving Sign Painting programs in the country, Nisha has developed a strong foundation in typography and now rides with TRUST YOUR STRUGGLE mural collective while working as a professional Sign Painter in the San Francisco Bay Area.

@nisha.k.sethi