Nadia Vanilla (they/she) is a Phoenix-based erotic and figurative artist working in a wide range of mixed media. Born in Iowa, Nadia grew up deeply involved in the arts, playing flute and saxophone and traveling to regional music competitions. They met their spouse, Bruce, in high school pit orchestra; the two later attended the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University, where Nadia earned a B.A. in cultural anthropology with a minor in art history.
After marrying in 2006, Nadia and Bruce moved to Arizona, where Nadia worked in arts administration and eventually in corporate environments before leaving their day job in 2014 to pursue art full-time. Their studio practice spans acrylic paint, ink, soft pastels, charcoal, resin, watercolors, wood burning, gel prints, and experimental tools such as 3D pens. Over the years, Nadia has completed several multi-part projects and series that explore the diversity of erotic and human experience.
Their work has been exhibited internationally, including at Seattle Erotic Art Festival, Dirty Show Detroit, Erotic Art London, Ben Oakley Gallery in London, and numerous group and solo exhibitions across the United States. Nadia’s art has appeared in multiple anthologies and publications and has been featured through performance platforms such as the Bawdy Storytelling Livestream and Podcast.
Nadia now travels widely to show work and teach workshops at art festivals, kink and rope conventions, and community events around the country. They share art as an intuitive, accessible practice and continue to build connections through ongoing large-scale projects, including a tarot deck and multiple series of erotic and figurative works.
