David Barista

David Barista is an artist and educator from Palos Heights, IL who currently lives and works in Decatur, IL.  Barista graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a BFA with an emphasis in art education.  Barista works in a variety of media including painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, photography, and sculpture. Barista’s artwork depicts

images from popular culture and daily life with the aim and intention to celebrate and chronicle shared experiences. Barista's artistic practice explores themes of community connection, particularly through sports

imagery.  Growing up as a sports enthusiast who found connection with family and friends through athletics, he

admires the beauty, grace, and spectacle of athletic movement. In his work, he juxtaposes different motifs to encode, decode, and discover meaning about himself

and the world, creating art that speaks both personally and universally.  Barista's work demonstrates how contemporary artists can bridge personal expression with community engagement, using art as a vehicle

for cultural dialogue and educational innovation.  His practice embodies the belief that art can simultaneously celebrate individual experience while creating universal

connections, making complex ideas accessible through visual storytelling that resonates across diverse audiences.