Welcome to Mikono Tisa Studio!

I'm Nathaniel Hunter, Jr., founder and artist behind this creative space. My artistic journey began in childhood and significantly advanced over two decades ago when I became a graphic designer, later evolving into a career in marketing; yet art has always remained my grounding anchor. Through mediums ranging from traditional pencils and charcoal to music, digital design, and now artificial intelligence, I've continuously sought new ways to express and understand the world around and within me.

"Mikono Tisa," Swahili for "Nine Hands," embodies my personal philosophy—eight hands representing the cardinal and intercardinal directions, guided by a ninth central hand. It further symbolizes the balance of cost and benefit in the physical realm and the transcendent duality of positive and negative; a compass I use to navigate my intentions and orient myself toward authenticity and truth. So, each work produced is an exploration into the purity of action, origination, and destination, forming a symbiotic relationship between the artist, the medium, and reality itself.

My current embrace of AI as a medium is born from introspection and necessity rather than mere technological fascination. Importantly, even my AI-assisted creations begin with my original artwork and concepts, serving as a foundation and guiding framework. These original pieces directly inform the visual styles, themes, and narratives explored, making the AI process an extension and amplification of my creative vision. While AI raises profound ethical and existential questions about labor, creativity, and authenticity, it also provides unprecedented opportunities. It challenges artists, myself included, to confront our fears, adapt, and forge a respectful partnership with this emergent medium.

In Mikono Tisa Studio, art is not just creation—it is an act of reciprocity, symbiosis, and mutual respect between the creator, the tools at their disposal, and the audience. Here, art transcends mere self-expression, inviting you into a deeper dialogue about how we engage with ourselves, each other, and the evolving world around us. I hope you enjoy what you see and are encouraged to think deeply about the possibilities of our present moment and what it may blossom into.