A curated collection of the Pacific Northwest’s trailblazing contemporary artists–the culture bearers of this region’s thriving arts community. Read all artist profiles online now, created by leading regional authors and photographers, and order the limited-edition book featuring expanded artist profiles and additional exclusive content.
31 Komi Jean Pierre Nugloze
It starts with the fabric. The substance, the thing that is cut. For Komi Jean Pierre Nugloze, maybe the fabric is his body, his life. I meet Komi Jean Pierre at N’Kossi Couture and Fashion, his storefront in Pioneer Place in downtown Portland. He is tall and lean and handsome, a black collared shirt under white sport coat striped a vibrant black and purple. We are surrounded by West African fabrics: the iridescent, intricate florals of Dutch waxed cotton and geometrically patterned Java batik, striped dan fani from Burkina Faso, Kente for weddings from Ghana, tie and dye from Guinea.
