Maria Khalid Nissan is a Georgia-based Assyrian-American environmental artist, educator, and

activist whose work transforms post-consumer plastic into bold, large-scale visual narratives.

Her practice challenges how we understand waste, nature, and personal responsibility, using

public space as a platform for environmental dialogue and action.

She holds a B.F.A. in Art Education from the University of Georgia (2014) and an M.F.A. in

Studio Art from SACI in Florence, Italy (2018). Maria has exhibited in over 40 public art projects

and exhibitions across the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Her work is recognized

for its vibrant compositions that juxtapose beauty with urgency, confronting plastic pollution in

fragile environments.

In 2023, Maria co-founded MicroPlasticsJO, a nonprofit dedicated to art-based environmental

education. Through this work, she has led more than 300 workshops internationally, engaging

communities in creative responses to single-use plastic pollution. Her projects have been

featured in over 30 international publications.

Maria was a featured artist in Georgia’s Flight of the Fireflies Lantern Parade in Athens in 2023

and 2024, where her large-scale lantern sculptures made entirely from salvaged materials

highlighted themes of environmental stewardship and collective hope.

Her installations—often placed in schools, parks, and civic spaces—blend visual impact with

education, inviting reflection and conversation, especially among younger audiences. Through

art, teaching, and community engagement, Maria aims to make environmental issues visible,

accessible, and emotionally resonant, inspiring long-term awareness and action.