Shaila Darr

Shaila Darr was born in Nairobi, Kenya, where she grew up and blossomed as an artist. A child
prodigy, Shaila manifested her precocious talent at the age of 13, when she began
sketching beautifully rendered images in pencil. She progressed to experimenting with pen and ink, creating vivid portraits using the dotting technique. Shaila opted to take graphic design as her profession and has worked successfully in leading advertising agencies as a graphic designer and art director, winning awards and accolade. Her passion for painting resurfaced and
even though untutored in fine art, she went on to master her own unique style and artistic discipline despite a busy career in advertising. In 2001 she
established her own freelance art studio where she pursues her passion for painting. She has produced amazing works of art, depicting people in their environments. Her first collection of paintings is based on her trip to India and Nepal. Her visualization of innocent young girls with sad knowing eyes are mesmerizing and represent her strong views against child marriage and the stigmatization of women. She is also fascinated by The Maasai of Kenya and has captured the essence of the tribe in the unique individual style of her own.

Untutored.

"L'Art de vivre la maison"
Artistic Perception of Home
Art Exhibition & Catalogue
16th March - 15th April 2002
Held at Maison Française in Nairobi, Kenya by its director Jean-Pierre Volia. A stimulating confrontation of different personalities and disciplines. 36 artists were singled out, who did not set out to privilege aesthetic stance, like the valorisation of arts over crafts, of spontaneous creation over functional utilitarianism and were documented in a specific catalogue (Coffee table book) - written by Jean-Michel Kasbarian.

"Visionary Woman" - Art Exhibition & Catalogue
National Museums of Kenya - March 2011
Showcasing 35 International Artists
In partnership with the Heinrich Boll Foundation, National Museums of Kenya, International Künstlerverein e.V and Hawa Artists.