Nina Kestenbaum was born in Connecticut. She grew up in West Hartford and goes to college in New Haven, CT. She is a student at Southern Connecticut State University studying psychology and studio art. She was introduced to drawing and art at a very young age by her late aunt. Nina and her aunt Andrea "Smokey" Gallo traveled to museums and sketched together, which allowed Nina to absorb the art director's talent and passion. Today, Nina studies drawing and painting, honing her technical skills and creative mind.

Nina's recent work addresses feminist issues. She explores creative color palettes. She works mostly in portraits and the figure. Her media of choice are pastel and oil paint.