To Crack The Silence: The Art of Nicole Yasmin Sobhi

By: Chieloka Anadu

For Nicole Yasmin Sobhi, creativity has always sat at the center of her life, beginning with a love for music and singing that gradually widened into a broader practice of self-expression. She first found her voice through poetry, later publishing a collection shaped by emotion and personal reflection, before her practice expanded further into painting – combining colour, texture, and language into work that is expressive and deeply intimate. Blending poetry with visual art, each piece becomes an extension of her inner world, a space where music, words, and feeling converge into one continuous story.

Her creative process is driven by emotion, memory, and inner experience, drawing on personal moments – both quiet and intense – that shape how she sees and feels the world. Music, poetry, and language sit at the center of how her ideas begin, often functioning as a bridge between thought and image. She is drawn to spaces that invite reflection, to moments of connection, and to the act of translating feeling into form; whatever the medium, colour, texture, or words, the work becomes a way of processing experience and giving emotion a physical presence.

Sobhi’s influences span disciplines as much as decades. She points to Frida Kahlo’s raw honesty and exploration of inner experience, Pablo Picasso’s fearless approach to expression and form, and Amanza Smith, who has shaped how she understands rhythm, vulnerability, and storytelling – with poets and musicians proving just as influential to her practice as visual artists. She is drawn, more broadly, to artists who blur the boundaries between disciplines, using colour, language, and texture as tools for expressing inner worlds, alongside contemporary text-and-abstraction artists and poets writing from lived experience.

Her materials reflect that same cross-disciplinary instinct. Working in mixed media, she combines acrylic paint, collage, textured papers, and fine linework, layering these elements to build depth and symbolism around themes of identity, heritage, and personal storytelling. Metallic accents and handwritten text bring light, movement, and voice into each piece, letting her blend imagery with meaningful statements to create work that is both visually expressive and culturally rooted.

When creative blocks set in, Sobhi steps back and reconnects with the things that inspire her – music, nature, cultural stories, everyday conversation, laughter – giving herself space to reset rather than forcing the process. She often revisits past sketches or unfinished pieces, which helps her rediscover ideas she had once set aside. By staying open and patient, she finds that inspiration returns naturally, and that her work grows stronger for the pause.

Asked what her artwork would say if it could speak, Sobhi answers at length and without hesitation: it would tell the viewer that their presence, their story, and their emotions matter, and remind them that they are seen, valued, and held even in the moments they feel invisible. “You are allowed to feel everything,” she imagines it whispering. “You are allowed to grow, to heal, and to take up space.” With every piece, she hopes to reach someone who needs comfort, affirmation, or courage, and to open a door toward conversations about identity, emotion, healing, and heritage. Her artwork, she says, would ultimately tell someone: “You are not alone, and your story deserves to be heard.” As she puts it in her own poetry:

“I make art to crack the silence, To pry open doors, Even I haven’t imagined”

Participating in the Blossom: Chronicles of Emergence exhibition holds deep meaning for Sobhi. It’s a chance to share her art, and a part of herself, with others – to see how it resonates, moves, or sparks reflection in someone else. She describes the experience as both vulnerable and exhilarating, putting her work into the world in the hope that it opens doors not just for her but for anyone who encounters it. Professionally, it offers a chance to grow, to learn from other artists, and to connect with a wider creative community, taking steps forward she couldn’t take alone.Follow Sobhi’s journey on Instagram: