Biography

A walker of trails, paths, and streets, Deanna Chilian enjoys pondering small discoveries, such as lichen on a fallen tree or an interesting pattern of cracks in the pavement. Born in New Jersey, she lived in Colorado and Asheville, NC before making her current residence in the vibrant grittiness of post-industrial Pittsburgh. Time spent in the Blue Ridge and Rocky Mountains and traveling through the Southwest has left an indelible imprint on her, reinforcing her belief that the beauty and vastness of our natural world is echoed within ourselves. "I am large, I contain multitudes." - Walt Whitman.

Her path as an artist has traversed the practice of law, non-profit work, and a career teaching pilates and Gyrotonic®. Each contributed to her development as an artist: the discipline to maintain a daily studio practice, communication skills, an eye for balance, and a tactile awareness all inform her working approach.  After a decade of steadily working as a painter, Chilian enrolled in the MFA program at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia, PA, graduating in 2025. It was the immersion and exposure to ideas she needed and as a result her studio practice has expanded to include non-traditional sculpture, installation, and hand papermaking. 

Chilian has exhibited in many group and solo shows and her work is in personal and corporate collections in the US, Europe, Japan, and the Middle East.