Artist spotlight : Kris Nevaeh

Artist Statement:

I’m Kris Nevaeh, a Boston-based photographer born and raised in the city. I’ve been making  photographs for over ten years and hold a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Lesley  University. Photography has always been my way of understanding people, preserving  memories, and connecting with the world around me. Portraiture is at the heart of my practice  because I believe everyone carries a story worth seeing and remembering. Whether I’m  photographing myself or someone else, I use the camera to tell stories and create space for  people to feel seen. 

My work is rooted in my community and in what it has meant to grow up Black in Boston,  Massachusetts. Walking the streets of Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan has shaped the way I  see people and the world around me. It’s a big part of who I am today. These places hold so  much of my being. Family, friendships, growing up, changing, and becoming who I am. They  are home. I want my work to reflect that feeling and give something back to the community that  has given so much to me. My art is a letter to my community, & various black experiences,  without trying to soften or reshape it for anyone outside of that experience. But I also believe that  when we tell our stories honestly, there is room for others to find themselves in them. I want my  photographs to create that kind of kinship; to make someone feel recognized, even when their  life looks different from the person in the photograph. 

A Love Letter to Boston reflects that. Through photography and collage, I brought together the  people, places, and memories that make Boston feel like home to me. The series is filled with  love and nostalgia, but also with the bittersweet feeling of watching a place you know change. It  became my way of holding onto pieces of home while celebrating where I come from.  Ultimately, that is what I hope my work can do: tell stories that feel true, preserve the things we  might otherwise lose, and give people a chance to see a little bit of themselves in someone else’s  story.

Social Networks :

• Instagram handle: @krisnevaeh

• Personal Website: krisnevaeh.com

Kris Nevaeh

• 1. Inspiration & Style

  • Question: What initially inspired you to become an artist, and how did you develop your unique artistic style?

  • Answer: Raised in a family full of creatives, photography became a passion in high school inspired by a father who always captured family moments and a close friend who was an amazing photographer. The fascination with the nostalgic feeling of freezing a moment solidified the path.

• 2. Creative Process

  • Question: Do you have any rituals or routines that help you get into a creative mindset when starting a new project?

  • Answer: Moodboarding using Pinterest, being a visual learner to see concepts clearly, and involving the muse in concept development so they can see themselves in the work.

• 3. Artistic Influences

  • Question: How do you balance historical or artistic influences with your personal style, and how do these influences manifest in your work today?

  • Answer: Aiming for work that evokes emotion without over-explaining, letting each viewer have a unique relationship with the art. Influenced by surrealism (especially Rene Magritte) and the Harlem Renaissance (stories by Langston Hughes, photography by James Van Der Zee, and post-era figures like Maya Angelou, Carrie Mae Weems, and James Baldwin).

• 4. Emotion & Expression

  • Question: How do you use your art to evoke emotions, and what role does emotion play in your creative process?

  • Answer: Seeking to make viewers feel a sense of kinship and find "home" in the work, sharing community stories authentically without watering them down.

• 5. Standout Projects

  • Question: Can you share a project that stands out to you and describe the creative process behind it?

  • Answer: The 'Leica Women Foto Project: Inward/Outward' in 2022, a black-and-white series photographing predominantly Black neighborhoods in Boston, MA (Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan) using a large mirror held by friends, family, and strangers to reflect the community.

• 6. Feedback & Growth

  • Question: How do you incorporate feedback from critics or audiences into your work, and how do you balance this with your own artistic intuition?

  • Answer: Welcoming feedback with good intent, maintaining an open mind to course-correct, and applying advice while practicing discernment guided by artistic intuition.

• 7. Motivation & Inspiration

  • Question: How do you stay motivated and inspired, even when facing creative blocks or challenges?

  • Answer: Giving oneself grace during uncreative periods, remembering that forced work is not good work, and exploring other creative avenues (reading, writing, dancing, lego building) when inspiration calls elsewhere.

• 8. Exhibiting Work

  • Question: How do you feel about exhibiting your artwork with The Holy Art Gallery, and what does this opportunity mean to you?

  • Answer: Feeling deeply grateful for the opportunity to share work and community stories with new audiences, and looking forward to connecting and sharing creative space with other artists.

• 9. Future Goals

  • Question: What are your long-term goals and aspirations as an artist, and how do you plan to achieve them?

  • Answer: Opening an art program providing inner-city youth with access to artistic resources and art therapy, going back to school for a Master's in Social Work to become a licensed therapist, and potentially owning a gallery/third space one day.

• 10. Audience Connection

  • Question: What do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your art, and how do you aim to connect with them on an emotional or intellectual level?

  • Answer: Hoping viewers find a piece of themselves, resonate with a sense of nostalgia and warmth like an old family photo, and spark conversations about shared experiences.