About Dana Schutz

Dana Schutz (born 1976 in Livonia, Michigan) is one of the most acclaimed American contemporary painters of her generation, recognized for her bold, provocative, and deeply imaginative artworks. Her distinctive style combines vivid color palettes, dynamic brushwork, and surreal figuration, resulting in paintings that blur the line between humor and discomfort. Schutz’s work frequently engages with narrative storytelling, presenting human figures in strange, sometimes grotesque scenarios that reflect both the absurdities and the complexities of modern life.

Her early paintings quickly established her as a force within the contemporary art world, with works that explored fantastical yet unsettling themes. Over time, Schutz has expanded her practice to tackle urgent and often controversial subjects, addressing issues of politics, race, and identity with a raw intensity that invites both admiration and debate. This fearless approach has made her artwork both visually striking and culturally relevant, securing her place in critical conversations about the role of painting in contemporary society.

In addition to her large-scale canvases, Dana Schutz has developed an important body of limited edition prints. These fine art prints mirror the narrative depth and painterly energy of her paintings, making her vision accessible to a wider audience while maintaining the expressive power of her unique compositions. Her prints and editions, like her paintings, embody a delicate balance between satire, empathy, and psychological insight, further cementing her reputation as one of the leading contemporary artists working today.

Notable exhibitions

Dana Schutz has achieved international recognition through exhibitions at leading museums and biennials worldwide. Her work has been included in major presentations such as the Venice Biennale, the Bienal de São Paulo, the Carnegie International, and the Cleveland Triennial, underscoring her global relevance.

In the United States, Schutz has been the subject of significant solo exhibitions at the Neuberger Museum of Art (If the Face Had Wheels, 2011), the Denver Art Museum (2012), and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston (Eating Atom Bombs, 2017). Additional solo shows at the Transformer Station in Cleveland and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal further highlighted her growing institutional presence.

Most recently, her paintings have been showcased in Dana Schutz: The Breeders at Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo in Turin (2019) and Dana Schutz: The Visible World at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris (2022–23), reaffirming her position as one of the most important voices in contemporary painting.