Bio

Samantha Reali is an interdisciplinary artist interested in analyzing her perception of personal relationships through dream-like narratives. Her practice and personal life are fueled by introspective curiosity, making the process of creating art an act of intimate self-discovery. A distrust of memory stands in the forefront as the artist translates complex narratives into surreal, saturated, and ambiguous images. 

Reali was born and raised in Staten Island, New York, where she grew up consistently interested in the magic of creating. She completed her BFA in Studio Art at SUNY Cortland in 2021 and shortly after began her graduate studies at the University of South Carolina. Here, she earned her MFA in Studio Art in 2024.


Statement

My work serves as a visual dream journal that enables evaluation of the memory of past dreams. These vibrant and surreal narratives are driven by the suspenseful or the absurd, and often exist on a fragmented and organically shaped surface. Falling asleep and being confronted with the disturbing, the ridiculous, and the whimsical creations of our subconscious each night is a spiritual phenomenon that I care to explore, but hope to never fully understand. This work is in conversation with the Surrealists and Dadaists of the 1910s-1930s. These artists used a sense of absurdity as a means of communicating and exploring elements of the human condition.


CV

Samantha Reali

Born 1999, Staten Island, N.Y.


EDUCATION

2024

Master’s of Fine Arts, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. 

2021

Bachelor’s of Fine Arts, State University of New York at Cortland, Cortland, N.Y

2017

The Cooper Union School of Art, New York, N.Y., The Saturday Program, Spring Session

EXHIBITIONS AND COLLECTIONS

2024

In Third Person, McMaster Gallery, Columbia, S.C. (Solo)

Art in the Park,  Juried pop-up gallery and vendor event, Farmingdale, N.Y.

Sober October, Staten Island, N.Y.

Art Lab, Juried pop-up gallery and vendor event, The Staten Island Museum, Staten Island, N.Y.

2023

Presidential Showcase of Art and Design, University of South Carolina Presidential Residence, Columbia, S.C.

Juncture, 707 Catawba St., Columbia, S.C.

Cottontown Art Crawl, Juried pop-up gallery and vendor event, Columbia, S.C.

2022

Coffeeshop, Pop-up gallery associated with Vista Lights Festival, Columbia, S.C.

Juried Annual Student Exhibition, Juried by Karen L. Watson, Executive Director of the Sumter County Gallery of Art, McMaster Gallery, Columbia, S.C.

School of Visual Art and Design Holiday Show, McMaster School of Visual Art and Design, Columbia, S.C.

Permanent Display, School of Visual Arts and Design at University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.

2021

Hypnagogia, Dowd Gallery, Cortland, N.Y. (Solo)

Student Select Juried Exhibition, Dowd Gallery, Cortland, N.Y.

Memorial Library Collection, Memorial Library, Cortland, N.Y.

2020

Student Select Juried Exhibition, Dowd Gallery, Cortland, N.Y.

2019

Student Select Juried Exhibition, Dowd Gallery, Cortland, N.Y.

2018

Student Select Juried Exhibition, Dowd Gallery, Cortland, N.Y.

PUBLIC WORK

2023

Indoor Mural, Red Jug Pub, Binghamton, N.Y. 

Outdoor Mural, Red Jug Pub, Brockport, N.Y. 

Indoor Mural, Susan E. Wagner High School, Staten Island, N.Y.

Indoor Mural, K Pediatrics, Staten Island, N.Y.

2021

Series of Nine Outdoor Murals, Red Jug Pub, Cortland, N.Y.

Indoor Chalk Murals, Red Jug Pub, Cortland, N.Y.

2020

Indoor Chalk Murals, Red Jug Pub, Cortland, N.Y.

2018

Indoor Ceiling Mural, In Fine Fettle, Staten Island, N.Y.

2017

Seasonal Window Painting, Pi 3.14 Pizza, Staten Island, N.Y.

CURATORIAL PROJECTS

2024

Layers of Legacy: Exploring Daily Life and Colonialism in Cameroon, McKissick Museum, Columbia, S.C.

2022

The Project, Koger Center for the Arts, Columbia, S.C.

Laura Spong: A Passionate Perspective, Koger Center for the Arts, Columbia, S.C.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2024

Instructor of Record, Introduction to Painting, Art Studio Course, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. 

Graduate Assistant, Beginning Painting II, Art Studio Course, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. 

Per Diem Educator, Art Studio and Art History Courses for grades K-12, The Staten Island Museum, New York, N.Y.

2023

Instructor of Record, Introduction to Painting, Art Studio Course, University of South Carolina, Columbia S.C. 

Instructor of Record, Introduction to Painting, Art Studio Course, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.

2022

Graduate Assistant, Introduction to Painting, Art Studio Course, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.

Graduate Assistant, Beginning Painting II, Art Studio Course, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.

2021

Graduate Assistant, Beginning Painting II, Art Studio Course, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.

Teacher’s Assistant, Drawing II, Art Studio Course, SUNY Cortland, Cortland, N.Y.

2020

Teacher’s Assistant, Art in the Ancient World, Art History Course, SUNY Cortland, Cortland, N.Y.

LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS

2024

Artist’s Talk, McMaster Gallery, Columbia, S.C.

2022

Invited guest speaker (virtual lecture with Q&A), School of Visual Arts and Design at SUNY Cortland, Cortland, N.Y.

2023

Batik Workshop, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.

2019

Artist’s Talk, Transformations Research Conference, Cortland, N.Y.

PUBLISHED WORK

2023

Samantha’s Purple Pillow, children’s book 



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