Nicola Simpkin-Hill is a contemporary visual artist based in Tamaki Makaurau Auckland. She graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Elam School of Fine Arts, the University of Auckland in 2018, and has exhibited across Aotearoa New Zealand.

She currently works in collaboration with her artist/daughter Geena Hill.

Their artistic practice has evolved from the healing ritual of walking through the natural environment, gathering only fallen flora, rocks and clay (also picking up rubbish) on their way. Mono prints are made from the fallen flora. Rocks are tumbled. Paint is made from clay, rock slurry, pigments and mixed with acrylic binder to make our paint. Taking inspiration from the monoprint designs, they paint, stitch and collage. Their ideas are about healing and nature by creating art that grounds the viewer with a sense of nature and positivity.

Niki's collaboration with Geena is not only as an artist but also as a parent of a disabled person to demonstrate a social art practice about disability and inclusion. By partnering with Geena, she recognizes Geena as an artist in her own right. Changing the medical and social thinking around the Cerebral palsy condition. It is a healing process for both, who have lived an extraordinary life, as a result of Geena's birth trauma. Mother and daughter are lucky to have survived, the ordeal which left Geena with quadriplegic cerebral palsy (also a latent diagnosis of ADD). Niki's unique approach to her daughter's cerebral palsy condition has included Stem-cell therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment, physiotherapy sessions, orthotics plus many more alternative interventions. All this has improved much of Geena's neuro-muscular symptoms giving her much more independent function. So much so that Geena’s artistic abilities are shining through. They have an intimate understanding of the physical, social, economic, political, and personal challenges of what Niki describes as ‘the disability landscape’. Together they advocate for disability, and further inclusion of their voices and perspectives in wider society.