Bio

Dana Donaty is a Colombian American artist, born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised in New Jersey. After spending twelve years in London, England, she moved to South Florida, where she lives and works. She earned her BFA in Drawing from Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia, PA., and her MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York.

Donaty’s multimedia practice of painting, sculptural assemblage, fiber, text-based work, and performance examine intimate and complex themes of the longest-running revolution: women’s equality. With a sense of humor and play, She weaves personal and political narratives together to explore all the big emotions of living in a female body— celebrating its strength, magic and beauty while navigating the inequities of trauma, aging, health and disabilities.  Using a vibrantly colored, maximalist aesthetic, she emphasizes the absurdities of everyday life while exposing the darker sides of culture.

Similarly, in prior work, gigantic canvases depict larger-than-life human figures imposed on a playground of tiny fantastical creatures, speaking to the paradoxes of freedom and equality in an out-of-scale, absurd world.

She has recently exhibited at The Invisible Dog Art Center, Brooklyn, NY; Mattie Kelly Arts Center, Destin, FL; Hera Gallery, Wakefield, Rhode Island; Flatiron Gallery, New York, NY; The SVA Gramercy Gallery, New York, NY;  The Camp Gallery, Miami, FL, The Coral Springs Museum of Art, Coral Springs, FL; The Art and Culture Center, Hollywood, FL; The Cornell Museum of Art, Delray, FL; The Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, FL; The Palm Beach Cultural Council, West Palm Beach, FL; The Arts Warehouse, Delray, FL; The Bakehouse Art Complex, Miami, FL; The Galleries at Moore, Philadelphia, PA.

Her work is in the permanent collection of The Coral Springs Museum of Art, private collections, and fourteen public art commissions. She has participated in Artist Residencies at The Arts Warehouse, Delray, FL; Frozen Music, Jaipur, India; Kriti Gallery, Varanasi, India; Bakehouse Art Complex, Miami, FL; South Florida Ford, Miami, FL.

Artist Statement

Through a multimedia practice of painting, sculptural assemblage, fiber, text-based media, and performance, my art examines intimate and complex themes of the longest-running revolution: women’s equality.

Grounded in feminist perspectives, my practice confronts the pervasive sexism that has historically shaped—and continues to influence— women’s lives. From sculptural assemblages that contemplate the poetics of the body’s interior spaces to paintings exploring energy work and consciousness, my work interrogates the paradox of empowerment within patriarchal structures.

With a sense of humor and playfulness, I weave personal and political  narratives together to explore all the big emotions of living in a female body— celebrating its strength, magic and beauty while navigating the inequities of trauma, aging, health and disabilities.  Using a vibrantly colored, maximalist aesthetic, I emphasize the absurdities of everyday life while exposing the darker sides of culture.

Driven by research, collecting, and experimentation, I reflect on women’s evolving roles and persistent challenges through the interplay of materiality and semiotics. Family heirlooms—my grandmother’s mink stole, quilts, and rosary beads— intertwine with toy soldiers, police riot gear, and discarded technology in my assemblages, sharing stories of resilience and contradiction.

Central to my vision is planting a seed for change—toward an equitable future and embracing every movement that shifts traditional gender norms, one mind at a time.