Meet Nicole

Nicole is not just an artist — she is a storyteller, a conservationist, and a devoted champion of the animal kingdom. Her journey into art began the same way most great stories do: with an overwhelming love for something that could not be contained.

For Nicole, that something was cats. From the first time she picked up a pencil and began sketching the feline form, she discovered a language that words could never fully capture. Over the years, that language evolved into something extraordinary: a world where cats inhabit the grand stages of human history, dressed in the robes of pharaohs, the armour of knights, and the robes of wizards.

What sets Nicole's work apart is its radical authenticity. Every piece begins with a blank page and a pen. There are no digital filters, no AI-generated shortcuts, no algorithmic shortcuts. Just the steady hand of an artist who has spent countless hours honing her craft — learning the architecture of crosshatching, the poetry of stippling, the drama of ink wash.

"I draw because I have to," Nicole says. "It's how I process the world, how I connect with the animals I love, and how I share that love with others. When someone holds one of my pieces, I want them to feel that connection — to know that a human being sat down and poured their heart into every line."

Beyond the studio, Nicole is an active animal rescuer. She has taken in countless cats over the years — nursing injured strays back to health, fostering kittens until they find their forever homes, and advocating for the welfare of animals in her community. A portion of every sale from Kitty Ryöt goes directly toward supporting local animal shelters and rescue organisations.

Her art is her activism. By making cats the heroes of history, Nicole gently reminds us that these creatures — so often overlooked, abandoned, or undervalued — are worthy of the same reverence we give to the greatest figures who ever lived.