ARTIST BIO

Deja Prieto is a figurative painter and illustrator born and raised in Queens, NYC who now resides in Los Angeles. Prieto has explored a variety of mediums such as oils, ink, graphite, digital, and pastels. Prieto’s work is characterized by their strong color work using muted tones and differentiated character design. Their current pieces primarily use a digital medium and focus on the illustration of women and queer individuals. Prieto's artistic goal is to capture the complexities of female expression and to create vivid stories about queer people through art. 

As a writer, Prieto aims to create intricate stories about queer BIPOC individuals and shine light on the struggles faced in these communities. They value the importance of having stories about people from marginalized communities written by people from those groups. Their complex characterization allows the audience of their stories to feel seen on the page and for their voices to be heard.

From 2019 to 2020 Prieto and their sister founded Dique Art to provide upcoming artists from marginalized groups the opportunity to showcase their artwork at an affordable price while giving back to the community. Prieto aimed to make the art world more accessible to those who are underrepresented in art galleries and help BIPOC artists and queer artists make money.

When they are not drawing, Prieto spends their time homeschooling their younger brother, taking care of their needy pug, and collecting trinkets.