I first saw Nehemiah’s work in a London Gallery, Josh Lilley. I immediately recognized some of the iconic scenery Nehemiah employed as a backdrop to his hyper complex painting as both of our hometowns, Los Angeles. I thought “There’s no way this painter is from Camden.” Sure enough, a month later we found ourselves in his studio near LAX. Nehemiah Cisneros is a painter whose work fuses the raw energy of urban graffiti with the narrative depth of classical art. A former graffiti artist, Cisneros transitioned into fine art, creating vivid, large-scale paintings that explore the complexities of urban life in Los Angeles. His series Wicked City, presents a layered portrait of the city, blending personal history with broader cultural themes. Cisneros earned his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2021 and is completing his MFA at UCLA’s School of the Arts and Architecture, where he has been recognized with the New Opportunities Fellowship. His work has been exhibited at venues such as the Rubell Museum in Miami, Santa Monica College’s Barrett Gallery, and Josh Lilley London. Through his art, Cisneros invites viewers to engage with the multifaceted narratives of identity, memory, and for us, Los Angeles.