Born in Toronto, Canada, Shahnaz Nia is an Iranian-American artist, living and working in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a self taught oil painter, examining the ever-evolving story of existence. Her formal education in biology combined with her quest for an understanding of a higher power directly influence her artistic practice. Her paintings depict energetic fragments of nature, subtly traversing the junction between earth and the cosmos. Central to her practice are the existential questions about life and the universe at large. “My work begins in the spaces where the natural world reveals its underlying structures—where growth and decay, expansion and collapse, operate in quiet but profound cycles,” says Shahnaz. “I am drawn to the subtle forces that shape life on both microscopic and cosmic scales. Through abstraction, I explore how these processes echo across the universe, and how they form an intricate, interdependent story of existence.” Shahnaz has exhibited in various curated group exhibitions across the United States. She has attended the Hambidge artist residency and was the 2024 recipient of the Fulton County Arts & Culture Distinguished Fellowship.