Mira Gandy is a visual artist whose paintings explore themes related to female identity, beauty, race, media and pop culture. Gandy got her start in the art scene at age twenty when life style expert and restaurateur B. Smith recognized her talent and sponsored her first exhibit at her restaurant, B. Smith’s in New York City. A subsequent introduction to Russell Simmons and his brother, artist Danny Simmons led to her inclusion in a series of group shows in Soho and Brooklyn, curated by Rush Fine Arts.
Gandy studied abroad at the American University of Paris and recieved a BFA magna cum laude from the Roski School of Fine Arts at USC. She is the recipient of the 2012 National Action Network Woman of Excellence Award, USC Edward Ewing Painting Scholarship Award, USC Black Alumni Association Outstanding Scholar of the Year award and has a USC Black Alumni scholarship named in her honor.
Gandy’s work has been shown in numerous exhibitions including: The Fisher Gallery, Los Angeles; Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery; BLK/MRKT Gallery, Culver City; William Grant Still Arts Center, Los Angeles; Dwyer Culture Center, New York and the Knox Gallery, New York. In addition, Gandy writes an art column for the New York Beacon newspaper, where she reviews art exhibitions and interviews leading contemporary artists. The artist lives and works in New York and Los Angeles.