Zsudayka Nsinga
Beams of Heaven, As I Go
Opening Reception: October 3, 2026
Exhibition on View: September 20 - November 15, 2026
For thirty years, Stella Jones Gallery has championed artists whose work preserves, expands, and reimagines the stories of the African diaspora. We are happy to welcome back Zsudayka Nzinga, an emerging artist whose future is as bright as the textiles she incorporates into her work.
Nzinga is a distinguished multi-disciplinary artist, curator, and arts educator based in Washington, DC. She approaches her work through the lens of cultural anthropology, focusing on mixed media portraiture that encapsulates the essence of American culture, particularly the experiences of Black women in the United States. Her artistry is characterized by rich symbolism and incorporates many hand-dyed textiles, Ankara patterns, and other cultural fabrics, along with stained glass elements.
For Ms. Nzinga, faith, family, and ancestral wisdom is the answer to all things. Her new exhibition, Beams of Heaven, As I Go, is inspired by the gospel hymn that promises a destination of light even as we move through hardship.
Nzinga captures this journey of resilience through richly layered, mixed media scenes of families caring for one another, building communities, and creating unexpected moments of freedom and celebration. In one of the exhibition's most powerful reversals to stereotype, Black figures run not away from danger, but toward the safety and comfort of home.
A native of Aurora, Colorado, she spent more than 20 years teaching art and developing arts-education programs before earning her MFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2025. Now based in Washington, D.C., Nzinga has exhibited at The Phillips Collection, the Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center, and the National Liberty Museum. Her work has been acquired or commissioned by institutions including the National Institutes of Health and the CIA Museum.
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For thirty years, Stella Jones Gallery has played a crucial role in highlighting the historical importance of Black Art. The gallery's commitment to fostering diversity in the downtown New Orleans area has garnered recognition, including being named one of the top 20 art galleries by The American Art Awards in 2025.
