Delna Dastur

Delna Dastur – Delna wants her work to be complex, full of depth and texture, and she thrives on experimentation. She wants viewers to find something new in her paintings, constantly. Each painting feeds the next and this often leads her to create series. One series is very organic in feel and the other much more structural. Nature in all its color, intricacy, and beauty is reflected in one, and cityscapes standing tall and grand in the other. Occasionally the two intersect, plants intertwining with buildings, climbing atop skyscrapers. She has a huge arsenal of materials in her studio and uses them to create layer upon layer of acrylics, inks, markers, gels, and collage. She intermingles paintings with drawing, finding joy in creating both. She wants to engage the viewer and to share her excitement in creating the work. Similarly, she conveys this enthusiasm about making art while teaching a class entitled, Exploring Abstraction at the Smithsonian Institution.

View Available Works

• Virginia Center for the Creative Arts - Amherst, Virginia, 2021
• Latela Curatorial - Washington DC, 2021
• Gallery Art Motif - New Delhi, India , 2021
• Second Street Gallery - Charlottesville, Virginia, 2020
• The Athenaeum - Alexandria, Virginia, 2020
• The Delaware Contemporary - Wilmington, Delaware, 2020
• The Art League Gallery - Alexandria, Virginia, 2019
• Foundry Gallery - Washington DC, 2019
• Target Gallery - Alexandria, Virginia, 2019
• McLean Project for the Arts - Mclean, Virginia, 2019
• American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center - Washington DC, 2017
• Gallery Plan b - Washington DC, 2011
• Gallery Art Motif - New Delhi, 2010

• American University , Master of Fine Arts, Oil Painting - Washington DC,1977 
• Wellesley College, Bachelor of Arts, Art History - Wellesley, Mass.,1971 
• St. Xavier's College, University of Bombay, Bachelor of Arts, English/French - Bombay, India,1967 

• 25th Anniversary Diary/Catalog for the Contemporary Indian Art exhibition at Gallery Art Motif, New Delhi - March 2021
• The Washington Post review of "Intention/Invention" a two person curated exhibit at McLean Project for the Arts - February 2019
• Published in 'Studio Visit', volume forty one, a juried selection of international visual artists - 2018
• The Washington Post review of "Influence and Inspiration," a juried exhibit at the Athenaeum - 2014
• Article in the Fezana Journal. Chicago - Spring Issue, 2012
• SPAN article, United States Embassy publication, New Delhi - March/April issue, 2010
• Time Out Delhi, Critic's Choice and review - March 2010