Nonstndrd Creative Projects

Multidisciplinary Practice by 2022 Los Angeles Public Library Creator in Residence,
Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin.

True Topographics

A weekly visual newsletter using photography to document the urban landscape from street level.

Secret Schematic newsletter coming soon!

Instagram: @nonstndrd
BlueSky: @nonstndrd.com

Inquiries:

kwasi.b (@) nonstndrd.com

My artwork is multidisciplinary in nature, incorporating drawings, paintings, and photographs to create work centered around place and identity. Early experiments with graffiti eventually led to other mediums, creating a foundation firmly rooted in street culture. In the decades since, I have continuously refined my approach to produce a complex body of work that blends the disparate yet interconnected components of my creative practice.

The work I produce consists of hand drawn illustrations, painted abstract compositions, collage, and photographs. The mediums influence and overlap with one another resulting in finished pieces that come in a wide range of formats, from traditional paintings to digital prints and zines. The intersection of these disciplines is an essential component of my art. My fine art work is greatly influenced by my photographic career. It remains the main way that I document my experiences and serves as the inspiration behind the paintings and collages I produce.

The shift in focus from representational work to abstraction was gradual. A desire to distill my work down to color and shape opened the door to new ways of expression. As my abstract work evolved, I found myself reintroducing my line drawings and photographs into the compositions I created. The result is the ever evolving, multifaceted artwork that has come to define my practice.

Select Exhibitions & Residencies

Neighborhood Studies
July 2026 - August 2026
The Werk Gallery | 2210 1st Ave. S, St. Pete FL 33712

Dear Artists: Los Angeles, Streets, Structures & Stories
June 2026 - July 2026
Band of Vices | 1700 S. Santa Fe Ave., Suite 371 Los Angeles, CA 90021

If Belonging is a Fiction
January 2026 - March 2026
Village Well Books & Coffee | 9900 Culver Blvd., Culver City CA 90232

“At Home with City of Ghosts”
September 15, 2023 - December 22, 2023
https://www.dfac.org/exhibit/at-home-with-city-of-ghosts/

Nomadency: Digital Artist-in-Residence
August 2023
Dunedin Fine Art Center | 1143 Michigan Blvd.Dunedin, FL 34698 - USA

2022 Los Angeles Public Library Creator in Residence
https://www.lapl.org/events/exhibits/creators-residence

Creators in Residence Exhibition
October 16th, 2022 - Spring 2023
Los Angeles Central Library | 1630 W 5th St, Los Angeles, CA 90071

Folk Medic II: Panacea
December 11th, 2021 - February 20th, 2022
Subliminal Projects | 1331 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles 90026

Nonstndrd Creative Publications
Self published books and zines.

The Public Work (2021-2023)
A series of three self published photography zines documenting the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the Los Angeles urban landscape.

The Library Zine (2022)
An art book produced as a part of the 2022 residency with the Los Angeles library. Distributed for free through the library, the book featured illustrations of each LAPL branch organized by geographic region.

Secret Schematic (2023
The first art book designed under the Nonstndrd Creative umbrella. Features paintings and illustrations paired with a parable about the fragmentation and potential reunification of the African diaspora.

Archival Recordings (2024)
A series of 4 printed zines published for paid subscribers of the digital newsletter. Featuring current photography and work from my archive going back 15+ years.

Character Arc (2025)
Character Arc is a limited run zine published in Spring 2025 featuring 30 drawings created from 2012 to 2023.

Portraits (2025)
The first collection of my illustrated collage portraits to be (self) published, featuring work created throughout 2025.