INTRODUCTION

Nikki Kilburn is a multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of creativity. Her practice spans photography, storytelling, and mixed media, exploring how identity, belonging, and lived experience shape who we are and how we relate to place. Interested in the personal and social landscapes we inhabit, her work reflects the layered realities of everyday life.

Her recent project, Noise & Thread, explores the cultural identity of Bucharest through the lens of the voyeur, marking a shift toward more introspective and slow creation. Alongside Nikki works in mental health practice, she has developed programmes that facilitate psychological safety for people living in prison and has collaborated with communities to design peer-led resources grounded in lived and living experience. As director of Zya Community, Nikki leads a community-led approach, co-creating arts and wellbeing projects that centre community voices and inspire connection.

INTERVIEW

How did you get into your creative practice? What initially inspired you?

I’ve always been captivated by storytelling. Growing up, I loved creating stories though I never saw myself as someone who could tell them visually. I always imagined I’d be a writer. That changed when I started working with a group of women on a project. There were a few lovely activities, and I ended up taking some materials home to experiment with macramé and that became a catalyst.

Shortly after, I picked up a camera. I’ve always been drawn to portraiture and street photography, so I began photographing friends whose passions intrigued me one practiced Butoh, a form of Japanese dance theatre, and another was a painter. Then I took to the streets, capturing mainly architecture and people. Actually, I was recently in Berlin, and it struck me how hard it’s become to take a photo of anyone without a phone in their hand.

What themes do you tend to interrogate in your creative practices?

My work explores how identity and lived and living experience shape the complex realities we inhabit. I’m fascinated by how our sense of self is influenced by heritage, birthplace, social structures, and the circumstances both chosen and imposed that define us.

This curiosity also extends to place: the environments we move through, the things we surround ourselves with, and the spaces that shape us in return. At its heart, my work is about our connection to all of this, the seen and the unseen that make us who we are.

What is your favourite project you’ve ever worked on and why?

That’s a tough one! And I am quite surprised by my answer, I’d say it’s my most recent project, Noise & Thread. It explores the layered cultural identity of Bucharest through the lens of a voyeur. The project unfolded slowly over seven months I didn’t have a fixed destination in mind. I played with multiple exposures and layers, initially drawn to the city’s architectural and historical narratives.

But as the work evolved, it became more introspective. I started recognising myself as the voyeur creating my own version of reality, as we all do when observing from the outside. This project opened a new creative space for me. Previously, I’d always started with a clear concept, but Noise & Thread grew organically from street portraiture into a reflection on the city itself and on my own way of seeing.

What advice would you have for creatives of colour looking to get into your creative practices?

I’d give the advice I wish I’d heard when I was younger: if you feel called to create, just start and keep going. Keep making, keep learning, and reach out for opportunities. Offer to assist on projects, ask questions, and say yes to learning experiences. Sometimes people say no and that’s okay, because those moments can lead somewhere unexpected. As creatives of colour, we often find ourselves as the only one in the room or representing a certain perspective. Remember: you’re not alone. There are others walking this path with you. Take care of your wellbeing it’s vital. Being one of the few can be exhausting, so connect with other creatives of colour to recharge.

What are you currently working on?

I’ve got a few projects on the go. I’m expanding my practice into screen printing and working on a portrait and still-life series shot on film, which I’ll later translate into screen prints. Following Noise & Thread, I’ve also started a new series of cityscapes and, on a different note, I’m writing a play for theatre. I love working across multiple mediums, though it does mean my process is a little slower. I’ve come to embrace that pace it’s how I create.