Nina Ghanbarzadeh

Nina Ghanbarzadeh is a visual artist and an entrepreneur who emigrated from Tehran, Iran in 2001. She earned her BFA in painting, drawing and graphic design from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 2013 and completed a two-year AIR Program with Redline Milwaukee in 2015. In addition to participating in group shows, Nina received the Student Silver ADDY, Mary L. Nohl Suitcase Export Fund, Fredric R. Layton Foundations Scholarship and the winner of best in show in Wisconsin Biennial 2020.

Most recently, Nina launched ARTkee Educational Toys, which produces SOFTwords, kits of basic shapes that allow children to explore the shapes as images as well as text.

Nina draws inspiration for her educational toy business and her art from cultural differences and the limitations of language. She finds beauty in the abstract marks that make up the symbols for language and explores the possibility of peace, happiness and togetherness through the universal language of art.