nadia msalek is a painter and mixed media based in richmond, va. msalek has shown in galleries across the us, and was the recipient of the 2023 vmfa undergraduate fellowship. coming out of her undergraduate study of painting and printmaking at vcurts, msalek focuses on defining private spaces. inspired by islamic codes of modesty and french orientalism, combined with her interactions in queer spaces, she explores censorship, voyeurism, and intersectionality. her artworks reference moroccan photographers including lalla essaydi and hicham benohoud, along with her own upbringing raised in the us as the eldest daughter of czech and moroccan immigrants.