Nicole Emilíana Mendez is a filmmaker and visual artist with a background in contemporary figurative painting. Born in Key West, Florida and moving many times as a child, she grew up with a love for people watching in ever changing environments. A survivor of childhood sexual trauma, her work focuses heavily on the emotions of young girls and their interactions with the world around them.

Mendez only recently discovered her love for filmmaking while attending graduate school. Her first short film, The Dress, screened on five continents and won several awards. She just completed her second short film, Bad Child, a documentary about childhood sexual abuse. Between projects, Mendez freelances as an editor and film colorist.

Mendez has exhibited her artwork around the country. She has had work featured at the Oceanside Museum of Art, has been published in several local magazines throughout southern California, and has had her work discussed on KPBS’ Midday Edition. Her original paintings are in private collections throughout the United States, Canada, Sweden, Iceland, and Germany. In 2016 Mendez was nominated for the San Diego Art Prize. She studied at Marylhurst University in Portland, Oregon after changing her major from chemistry and mathematics to fine art, and she received her MFA in 2022 from San Diego State University.

Nicole lives in Southern California with her three children.