Artist Bio

Nyemer is an artist and activist born in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, where her father worked as a teacher. After spending a short time in Nairobi, Nyemer and her family relocated to the United States. They initially settled in Minnesota, and it was there, at the age of seven, that Nyemer first discovered her love for art. Her mother bought her painting supplies and a drawing kit, and she spent hours painting along with Bob Ross on TV, nurturing her creative passion.

When Nyemer first arrived in the United States, she learned to speak English in just three weeks, determined not to be placed in language learner classes. After a few years in Minnesota, her family moved to Iowa, where most of her childhood memories were formed. Although Nyemer did not attend university for art, she is a self-taught artist, honing her skills through years of dedication and personal exploration.

In 2013, Nyemer’s homeland was torn apart by the genocide of the Nuer people at the hands of the South Sudanese government and their privately trained army made of dinka soliders called Tiger Battalion. This tragedy left her with deep anger and frustration, which she channeled into her artwork. Her art became a way to confront the political issues facing her people.

Nyemer's work is unapologetically political, direct, and in-your-face. She uses her art to tell the true, painful story of the continuous ethnocide and genocide in South Sudan. Her mission is clear: to contribute to the fight for justice by giving voice to the suffering of her people and to ensure their stories are never forgotten. Through her art, Nyemer reminds the world of the horrors her people have endured and of the need to ensure such atrocities never happen again.

Her work is an act of resistance, a visual declaration of survival, and the Nuer version of "No More" — a demand for peace, justice, and remembrance.