Senior Spotlight: Naw Nhkum
Studio art major Naw Nhkum reflects on his journey as a painter and printmaker and the faculty mentors who helped shape his Meadows experience.
The final feature in our Spring 2025 Senior Spotlight series highlights Naw Nhkum (B.F.A. ’25), a studio art major who transferred to ÃÛÌÒ½´and quickly made his mark through painting and printmaking.
While at Meadows, Nhkum has immersed himself in his creative practice, earning the Mary Vernon Painting Prize, completing an artist residency in New York City, accepting a private commission from Mrs. Turner and presenting his first solo exhibition at SMU.
His exhibition, The Wait of Red, debuted just last month and marked the culmination of his undergraduate studies. Through crimson tones and layered surfaces, Nhkum’s work explores narratives of tension, transformation and material intensity, exploring the material and conceptual possibilities of red as both a formal and symbolic element.
The exhibition featured a collection of prints created through traditional printmaking techniques – copperplate etching and woodcut – alongside a focused selection of paintings that expand upon the exhibition's central themes.
Nhkum’s first solo exhibition, "The Wait of Red," debuted in April and explored narratives of tension, transformation and material intensity through crimson tones.
Nhkum credits his growth to the supportive and inspiring mentorship he received from faculty. “A huge thank-you to the incredible mentors I met at the Meadows Art Department — Jerlisa Devezin, Ian Grieve and Philip Van Keuren — for believing in me and shaping my journey as an artist,” he said. “Their guidance has expanded my vision and ambition in ways I’ll always carry forward.”
After graduation, Nhkum will continue developing his practice through artist residencies in Europe and Asia, with plans to pursue an M.F.A. in 2026.
Congratulations, Nhkum! We can’t wait to see where your vision takes you next!
Learn more about Meadows’ Divison of Art here.