Dani Samson, Mixed Media Artist
Biography
Dani Samson is a contemporary mixed media painter based in Los Angeles, California. She creates abstract art using a wide variety of materials, including but not limited to paper, fabric, found objects, scrapped artwork, paint, ink, graphite, charcoal, and wax pastel. Her unique style stems from her interest in living a more present life, exploring how mental activity shapes the way we perceive and experience each moment.
She earned a degree in psychology and studio art from The Ohio State University before pursuing an MFA at the Columbus College of Art & Design. Dani’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including works in Beeler Gallery (Columbus, OH), Centre Pompidou (Paris, France), and Helms Design Center (Los Angeles, CA). In addition to her independent practice as an artist, Dani has dedicated much of her time and energy into serving her community as an arts educator and administrator.
Statement
The moments I revisit in my creative practice are abstracted beyond immediate recognition through the addition and omission of details. With a wide range of materials, I translate my mind’s internal wanderings into expressive use of color, mark, and texture. Flattened space, repetitive marks, layered paper, and unconventional colors obscure the scene, just as intrusive thoughts disrupt our experience of the present. As viewers explore fragmented sections of color, texture, and pattern, they might catch glimpses of everyday imagery, such as a cat tucked under a blanket or a plant resting on a windowsill. Though much of the original image remains hidden in the final piece, captivating details may be found in the material itself, inviting stillness through the simple act of observation, free from the need for objective clarity.
If you are interested in purchasing my artwork, have any questions about my practice, or would like to collaborate, please email me. I’d be thrilled to hear from you.
Education
2019 MFA: Visual Art New Projects, Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus, OH
2014 BA cum laude, Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Awards
2024 Distinguished Award for Mixed Media, ARTventure, The City of Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa, CA
2019 Finalist, Kroger Art Project | Building Community Through Art, Greater Columbus Arts Council, Reynoldsburg,
OH
2019 Best of Show, Group Exhibition, Young Hearts 8, Sean Christopher Gallery, Columbus, OH
Exhibitions
2024 ARTventure (group), Norma Hertzog Community Center, Costa Mesa, CA
2024 Absolutely ABSTRACT (group), Las Laguna Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
2024 Places / Spaces / Faces (group) - L.A. GOAL, Culver City, CA
2023 Moving Together (group) - Helms Design Center, Los Angeles, CA
2022 Mother Nature Survived It (and I Will Too) (group) - Helms Design Center, Los Angeles, CA
2020 Dust: The Plates of the Present (group) - Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
2020 June Featured Artist (solo) - Little Bite Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2019 Where I Live, Deconstructed (solo) - Bexley Heights Gallery, Columbus, OH
2019 Domesticated (solo) - Cova Cowork, Columbus, OH
2019 Where I Live (solo) - Gravity, Columbus, OH
2019 Replacing the Sun? (group) - Beeler Gallery, Columbus, OH
2019 NOT another ART show (group) - Moxie's, Columbus, OH
2019 Young Hearts 8 (group) - Sean Christopher Gallery, Columbus, OH
2018 SOFA CONNECT (group) - Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
2018 5th Annual Art Show: Illuminate the Arts and Sciences (group) - Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus,
OH
2018 CHROMA (group) - Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus, OH
2018 Young Hearts 7 (group) - Sean Christopher Gallery, Columbus, OH
2017 Fixate (group) - Shadowbox Live, Columbus, OH
2017 4th Annual Art Show: Illuminate the Arts and Sciences (group) - Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus,
OH
2017 #wildartcolumbus (group) - Wild Goose Creative, Columbus, OH