Nishina Shapwaykeesic-Loft is Kanien’kehá:ka from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. She is a 2S queer, multi-disciplinary artist in a wide spectrum of mediums. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours from York University in Theatre Production and Design.
Nishina works within the theatre industry with a specialization in Costume Design. She is a mural artist with experience as an artist with StART and as a curator and an indigenous advisor. She works in Programming in the film industry previously for the Toronto Queer Film Festival and ImagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival.
Nishina is a beadwork artist (NshTsh) based in Brooklyn, focusing on modern designs with traditional materials. She is an emerging fashion designer (Creator Complex) with a focus in upcycling and traditional motifs from Haudenosaunee patterns. She was the Model Coordinator for the Inaugural Indigenous New York Fashion Week in 2025. She was the Senior Art Director at Relative Arts NYC from 2023-2026.
She currently works for Emily Johnson/Catalyst as a Project Assistant and Isaboko as a Textile Producer and Product Manufacturer.
She continues to grow within her field and explore new opportunities.