About the Artist
Dharma Gilley
they/them pronouns
Currently lives & works in San Antonio, TX
Dharma Gilley is a poet and a visual artist who works mainly in mixed media, acrylic, and 3-D. Their paintings manifest an awareness of uncertainty, and often contain masked words and unsteady lines to portray the instability of circumstance. Dharma’s poems tend to be abnormally structured, in order to evoke emotions that are usually abandoned. They feel linked to the trials and tribulations that they and those around them face, and strive to take adversity and turn it into pieces that are engaging and honest. Dharma is an avid believer in self-care, and their work centers on an intrinsic need to build a "home' in themself.
When not making art or writing, Dharma is gardening, watching sunsets, playing with their fur babies, and spending as much time as possible with their loved ones.
Education
Sept. 2014-July 2018 - Teen Art Lessons with Carmen Lugo
May 2017 - Mixed Media Workshop with Mary Hardy
Aug. 2018-2020 - Tulane University (Art and Theatre studies)
Aug. 2021-May 2022 - Southwest School of Art (BFA)
Aug. 2022-Present - University of Texas at San Antonio (BFA)
Exhibitions & Festivals
Mar. 2016 - Takeover Art Show, Greenhouse on Porter
May 2016 - Teen Art Exhibit, Mary C O'Keefe Cultural Center
Feb. 2017 - Opp Shop, Greenhouse on Porter
May 2017 - Pop Up on the Patio, Smith & Lens
June 2017 - Opp Shop, Greenhouse on Porter
Sept. 2017 - Opp Shop, Greenhouse on Porter
Oct. 2017 - First Friday, Almost Circle Gallery
Mar. 2018 - First Friday, Almost Circle Gallery
Mar. 2018 - MSLC Art Fest, Almost Circle Gallery
Oct. 2018 - 3rd Annual Odd Ball, Almost Circle Gallery
Mar. 2019 - Pop Up on the Patio, Smith & Lens
May 2019 - Under the Flower Moon, Hancock County Arts Collective
Awards
Oct. 2015 - Eudora Welty Ephemera Prize