Nakiyah T.M. Jordan

Black, Lesbian Mississippi Artist & Poet

Nakiyah T.M. Jordan is a Black, lesbian, artist and writer from Southern Mississippi. Her work, with its roots in painting and drawing, exist across mediums to tell stories that reek of absurdity, wild dykes, and, hopefully also, southern charm. Her hope is to relate to her communities as well as reject a refinement or beautification of that which she already finds beautiful and elegant as is. 

The figure—and things that mimic it—and language—how it shows up in our bodies—is the fulcrum of Nakiyah’s work, both written and visual. It is always of the body and the tongue. 

Her work has appeared in Places to Spit by TEMPER Press and Black Girls Can Be Magical Too. Nakiyah holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a BFA with an emphasis in painting from the University of Mississippi. Nakiyah is a founding member of Family Resemblance, a member of Exhibit B: A Literary Variety Show, and hosts the writers’ night open mic at Eli Tea Bar.

photo by Sarah Elizabeth Larson