Nooshin R.

Visual artist, Teaching creative strategy through art, chess, and the power of playful discovery

New York City

• They developed their own version of chess called "Chess in a Round"—a collaborative, multiplayer twist on the classic game that makes strategy more inclusive and accessible.
• They've taught art related coarses to students with different age groups from curious 4-year-olds to ambitious college students.
• They co-founded Building New Bonds (B new B), bringing different processes of art-making into communities as healing practice.

I believe learning happens at the intersection of play and strategy—whether we're mixing paint, moving chess pieces, or building sculptures from intangible materials like light or found objects. Art-making and games like chess are both portals: ways to slow down, notice new perspectives in our surroundings, think several moves ahead, and discover new patterns in how we see and solve problems. The best learning feels like discovery, not instruction. I create spaces where students lead with their curiosity—experimenting with materials, testing strategies, learning from mistakes—while I hold the container for exploration. Whether we're working with clay, paint, or chess pieces, I'm interested in the questions that emerge: What happens if we try this differently? How does this choice affect what comes next? I'm endlessly fascinated by the intelligence of materials—how paper remembers its folds, how paint bleeds into water, how clay holds the memory of touch—and equally drawn to system building, where games teach us to think and collaboration reveals unexpected solutions. I love interdisciplinary work that bridges art with science, storytelling, language, and embodied learning. The same curiosity that drives my art practice fuels my chess teaching: How can we make complex ideas playful? How do we build confidence through experimentation? With over a decade teaching Pre-K through university students across NYC—from leading interdisciplinary art workshops at The New American Academy to co-designing storytelling projects with middle schoolers in Sunset Park through Urban Arts—I bring structure, imagination, and empathy to every learning environment. I'm also co-founder of Building New Bonds (B new B), bringing healing and transformative art-making into communities. My workshops—whether art or chess-focused—are playful, process-oriented, and designed to build both skills and emotional intelligence. Come ready to think strategically, collaborate generously, get your hands messy (literally or metaphorically), and surprise yourself with what you can create and solve.