Biography

Nandipa Chéry (b. 2010) is a visual artist based in Houston, Texas. Born in Seattle and shaped by her family’s roots in South Africa, Haiti, and Dominica, she works across painting, drawing, and ceramics. Her work explores questions of freedom, identity, and belonging through portraiture and narrative imagery. As the inaugural artist of the Civic Voices Initiative, Chéry invites viewers to consider the ways art can deepen our understanding of one another and the communities we share.

Artist Statement

Rooted in the cultural heritage of the Arab world, this work acknowledges the contributions of Arab Americans to our shared civic life through symbols of peace, hope, and belonging. At its center, a white dove rises with outstretched wings, carrying olives that symbolize peace while also reflecting abundance, endurance, and the continuity of generations. Together with the dove, they speak to the values that communities nurture and pass from one generation to the next. Set against a black sky, the luminous moon serves as a symbol of hope. Its light reminds us that even in seasons of uncertainty, hope remains present. The relationship between darkness and light is central to the composition. Neither exists without the other. Instead, the painting suggests that hope, peace, and belonging are most clearly revealed when they are intentionally cultivated. This interplay of image and symbol is carried into language itself. Across the top of the composition, the Arabic phrase “The decision is yours” appears in vivid red. More than a translation, the script is an affirmation of presence. It celebrates Arabic as a language, a cultural inheritance, and a living expression of Arab American identity. The bold red lettering draws the eye, inviting viewers to consider how individual choices become part of a shared civic story. That invitation extends beyond the canvas. This work asks viewers to reflect on the choices that shape our civic culture and the legacy we leave to the next generation. The phrase “The decision is yours” speaks not only to individual responsibility but also to the collective future we build together. Civic participation, including the act of voting, becomes one expression of that responsibility, helping shape the society future generations will inherit. Ultimately, The Decision Is Yours envisions peace not as a distant ideal but as something cultivated through everyday acts of care, participation, and hope. It is a reminder that the future is not only imagined. It is created, one decision at a time.