Meet the Owner: Nakia Capri

Born and raised on the south side of Chicago. Her passion for art started back when she was a little girl. She taught herself how to draw and sold her drawings to her classmates for a dollar. Over the years her creativity and talent has grown.

Nakia recently graduated with a Bachelor's in Landscape Horticulture/Design at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. There she learned how to make 3D models and other art forms. While in college, she battled with depression, insecurities, and anxiety daily to the point where she felt like giving up all together. Which led to the start of 'B.Y.E.: Be Yourself Everyday'. It's all about encouraging people to be proud of what makes them unique from others, to love themselves always, and reassurance that they are enough through different art forms. She wanted her peers to know that they were not alone and its okay to struggle sometimes, no one is perfect.

Nakia is mostly known for her animation/cartoon paintings. "Art to me is all about connecting with yourself. Every time I paint, I discover new things about myself and heal from things I didn't even know I was dealing with. I use cartoons to show the innocence in my art. It allows me to escape the adult world for a moment and just be a kid again."-Nakia Capri