Amara Eke is an African American artist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who specializes in colorful acrylic paintings and drawings both figurative and abstract. Eke has intentionally intensified an already bright color palette and an artificial materiality to consume viewers’ attention.

She earned her MFA at the University of Washington in 2024 after graduating from Penn State University with her BFA in Drawing and Painting in addition to two degrees for Gender Studies and Art History, as well as the Creative Achievement Award for the School of Arts and Architecture in 2021.

With striking aesthetics, she strives to compel her audience to linger, and give more than a passing glance. “Amidst real-world chaos, madness, and confusion, my ambition is to create beams of joy.”