Dara Piken

From the age of five, Dara started drawing on the backs of her dolls' heads. She then moved to the walls. Dara’s mother knew this was her passion and enrolled her into private art lessons immediately. Now, 18 years later, she is completely hooked and hasn’t looked back. Dara spent her first two years of undergrad at the University of Michigan Penny Stamps School of Art and Design. After her second year, the Dean told her she was not an “artist of quality” and moved her into the School of Liberal Arts. Confused, Dara protested it saying she had yet to even fail a class. They would not back down, and instead of using their judgment, Dara took her love and passion to the only city she knew would help it prosper: New York City. She completed her Undergrad studies at the School of Visual Arts and graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Arts in 2016. In her time at SVA, Dara had improved her technique, but was seriously struggling with content. During her final year, she decided to stop trying to create what she thought people would like, and dove back into what she thought truly mattered. Dara’s art is one of exposure; using her privileged upbringing as her main source as inspiration for works. Instead of trying to fit into the art world, Dara took the opposite approach. Paint and text are Dara’s preferred medium. Dara’s work, as well as her personality, have a satirical and relatable edge. She currently resides in downtown New York City where she is working around the clock.