Nico Riley is a Jamaican-American artist whose work is deeply influenced by themes of self-expression, experimentation, and freedom. Raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Riley's childhood was marked by a clash between the socially restrictive climate of his home country and his innate rejection of conformity. This tension sparked his fascination with the avant-garde and the marginalized, shaping his creative vision.

From a young age, Riley exuded imagination. As a child, he would spend hours transforming simple colored pencils into characters, and reimagining the shapes on his bedroom floor as fantastical lands where his stories came to life. 

The boundless creativity of his youth persists in his current work, where he blends diverse forms and narratives to create compelling art that invites viewers into unique and transformative experiences.