On February 9, artwork from Kymia Nawabi (MFA Drawing and Painting ‘06) was featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Her piece Chrysanthemum Trance is the cover art for the new Future Islands album The Far Field.
“I was so happy and excited, of course, to see Jimmy spend so much time with my image on the air!” Nawabi said. “He even had a little conversation about the orientation of the work with the audience which was great.”
Future Islands members Samuel T. Herring and WIlliam Cashion approached Nawabi on collaborating together for the cover art of their new album.
“As they took a look at my pieces, they felt that this image seemed connected to the feel of the album and Sam's lyrics,” she explained.
This was not the first time Nawabi worked with Future Islands though. In 2003, as an undergraduate student at East Carolina University, Nawabi formed a band called Art Lord and The Self-Portraits with Herring, Cashion and Gerrit Welmers, fellow fine art students.
“After I graduated with my BFA, I left for grad school to UF and they went on to become Future Islands,” she said. “Since then, I have done many album covers for them and a couple T-shirt designs.”
While seeing her artwork in the hands of Jimmy Fallon was indeed exciting, Nawabi was nearly moved to tears while watching the Future Islands on-air performance.
“Mostly, I was, as always, incredibly moved and so proud of seeing my old friends dazzle the world,” she shared. “I am always over the moon when I get to work with them after all these years of comradery, and I am very pleased with how this all came together for The Far Field.”
Learn more about Nawabi at www.kymianawabi.com.
