Darrien West

Darrien West is an Atlanta-based, self-taught contemporary artist whose mixed-media practice explores the intersections of Black identity, money, power, faith, love, and the contradictions of contemporary life.

Working primarily with acrylic, collage, found materials, text, and symbolism, West creates emotionally charged compositions that move between abstraction and representation. His work often examines how society assigns value—to money, to identity, to history, and ultimately to ourselves.

Before pursuing art full-time, West worked in finance as a stockbroker, an experience that continues to influence his visual language. Ideas of risk, reward, wealth, scarcity, ambition, and self-worth frequently appear throughout his work, creating a dialogue between financial systems and the human experience.

Rooted in Atlanta and informed by both personal experience and contemporary culture, West’s work addresses subjects ranging from Black history and racial identity to relationships, spirituality, economic inequality, and personal transformation.

His work has been exhibited throughout the Southeast and held in private collections across the United States. He is also a founding member of The Uppercircle Artist Collektive, an Atlanta-b...

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS & PRESENTATIONS

* The Other Art Fair — Atlanta
* South Fulton Art Center
* The 1904 Gallery
* Path Museum — Atlanta
* Emma Darnell Aviation Museum
* Southwest Arts Center
* Quinlan Visual Arts Center
* Gallery Andersen Smith
* Okeeba Jubalo Gallery

SELECTED SPECIAL EVENTS

* New York Stock Exchange — Charity Auction
* Taste of Atlanta — Featured Artist
* Meals on Wheels Atlanta — A Meal to Remember Gala