About
Michaela Razafima(hefa) Nash is an artist and arts writer, based in Belfast, NI. She is queer and of multiracial origins including Irish, French and Malagasy (Merina); these facets of her identity often frame her writing and artwork.
Her writing takes shape through hybridized and experimental forms, often combining prose, poetry or personal essay with art criticism. She has created texts for institutions across Ireland including; IMMA Dublin, CCA Derry and Catalyst Arts Belfast.
Her art practice is conceptually driven. She works through painting, photography and video installation. Recent exhibitions include Sam's Eden in CCA Derry and ‘She/Her/They/Them/We for Imagine Festival, Belfast. Both her writing and her artwork are attuned to ideas of belonging, home, the body, kinship and mixed race experience.
Selected Texts/Publications
2023
‘Written by us, Not about us: Reclaiming Art Histories & Developing Critical Discourse in Northern Ireland and Nigeria’ Publication,Text on Elvira Santamaria-Torres for the Northern Irish Art Network (NIAN)
‘Active Hope in Times of Crisis’ for Take Hold Publication, edited by Rachel Botha
2022
‘Half Way Out Of The Dark’ exhibition text for Re-vision Festival exhibition
2021
‘Methods of Root Propagation’ for ‘Sam’s Eden’ publication and exhibition, Catalyst Arts, Belfast
‘Limits of My Language’ for ‘Limited in Language’ exhibition, Kilkenny Arts Gallery, Kilkenny
2020
Experimental text in response to Goethe-Institut ‘Disappearing Wall’ project as part of Catalyst Arts ‘Progagate’ series
Pamphlet ‘Bodies of Water’ in response to ‘Water Bodies’ exhibition, Catalyst Arts, Belfast
2019
‘Distance To The Horizon’ text in response to Wolfgang Tillmans’ ‘Elephant Man’, published in joint retrospective IMMA, Dublin and Wiels, Brussels catalogue ‘Today Is The First Day’
2018
‘Synthesis’ text published in RHA Young Art Writers zine, featured at Dublin Art Book Fair, Temple Bar Gallery and Studios
Education
2020
Node Center For Curatorial Studies, Berlin (online)
Creative Forms of Art Criticism and Writing
2017-2020
National College of Art and Design, Dublin
BA Fine Art Media/Visual Culture joint honours
2015-2016
Belfast School of Art, Belfast
Diploma in Foundation Studies Art and Design
Selected Exhibitions
2025
‘Take Hold’, CCA Derry/Londonderry, curated by Rachel Botha
2023
Sam’s Eden 2, CCA Derry/Londonderry, curated by Thomas Wells
2022
‘Painting to See the Skies’ as part of ‘The Window Project’ with CCA Derry
‘She/Her/They/Them/We’, Imagine! Festival, Arcade Studios, Belfast
2021
‘Infinite Becomings’ NCAD Gallery, Dublin, as part of Lucida Collective
‘Juncture’, Pallas Projects Galleries and Studios, Dublin
2020
‘I Crossed a Bridge of Dreams and Made Them Real’ for Constellations Festival, Gorey, Co.Wexford
2019
126 Gallery, Galway, ‘Hiatus’ curated by Meadhbh Mcnutt
Strand Arts Center, East Belfast, ‘Small Worlds’ exhibition, a culmination of socially engaged intercultural art project ‘The Home Project’
2017
‘Time to Change’, ‘NIMHAF Festival’, Arts and Disability Forum Gallery, Belfast
2016
'Precious, Precious Gold' Photobook, Temple Bar Gallery Artist Book Fair, Dublin,
Collections
2023
Archipelegeic Dreams of Imaginary Homelands paintings, private collection
2021
‘Untitled’ painting from ‘A Geneology of Hedgerows’ project, private collection
2017
‘Precious, Precious Gold’ photobook, held in the National Irish Visual Arts Library (NIVAL) collection, Dublin
Residencies
2019
‘An Port’ Remote Residency with Lay Of The Land