Monique “Nikki” Castillo, enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, Albuquerque-born and raised. An artist, observer and story-teller, Monique weaves visual stories using different shades of color, varying line-weight, carefully drawn facial expressions and a strong sense of artistic composition. Many characters depicted in her art come from Indigenous backgrounds and show a facet of Indigenous life that many may not be familiar with.

Growing up, Monique spent a significant amount of time on the reservation at her Masani’s (maternal grandmother’s) house which didn’t have proper plumbing or electricity for quite some time. Drawing has always been an accessible form of entertainment. One blank page can hold so many possibilities

From 2015-2018 Monique attended Santa Fe University of Art and Design on scholarship. Major in Digital Arts with a focus in illustration. Due to the school shutting down in 2018, Monique was unable to finish her schooling but chose to persevere with her art regardless of formal education.

Monique sells her artwork at many events annually including local pow-wows such as Nizhoni Days Pow-wow (typically held in April) , Women’s Art show held at the Hispanic Cultural Center in October and many more events.

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