Visual artist Nadege D. Tessono Okotie has been working for approximately 18 years. Her work consists of numerous 2-dimensional graphic design, illustration, textile, pattern, and printmaking endeavors.

She recently earned her Master of Education in Community Arts and Education from Lesley University, where she concentrated on the therapeutic value of the visual arts and where her research examined the therapeutic effects of the visual arts. Before starting her company, She Moves Forward, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication with a minor in Art Studio, which she used to develop her professional career in creative services.

Her artistic creations provide a narrative that retells history from the perspective of the African diaspora. She integrates her work in the intersectionality of visual communication and art-elicited techniques, giving others skills to aid with coping, healing, and advancement in situations and in life. Some of her focus areas are pattern design, symbols/ism, language, textiles and textures, black identity, female-focused, and cultural influences.

Her professional and personal life objectives include being involved in communities and understanding the role of visual influence in the arts. She is a facilitator, artist, and visual communicator; she offers a distinctive viewpoint and expertise. She finds balance in her work with others and her creative endeavors through facilitating arts-based projects and workshops and participating in exhibitions in schools, community organizations, and other community venues.