Nao Bustamante is a pioneer in performance and experimental art who works in a variety of mediums such as performance, sculpture, installation, video art, and pop music. Her art has an intimate quality that seems to come from her self-defined practice of "using the body as a source of image...taking the spectator on a bizarre journey...to confront them with a startling wake up call." Originally from San Joaquin Valley in central California, Bustamante has performed across the U.S. and internationally in such venues as the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Arts, and the Kiasma Museum of Helsinki. In fall 2006 she performed at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign as part of the School of Art + Design's Visiting Artist Series.