Piya Samant

Piya Samant is a Massachusetts-based artist celebrated for her luminous, vibrant paintings. Born in India, she is the daughter of a NASA scientist and a schoolteacher. A self-taught artist, Piya discovered her passion for drawing and painting during long, sweltering summers, channeling her creativity into sketching everything within reach. Her childhood experiences in India profoundly shaped her artistic journey. In the 1990s, Piya lived near the India-Pakistan border, where communal riots and curfews were a harsh reality. Confined indoors during 12-hour curfews, she turned to sketching as a refuge from fear and uncertainty. Later, at age 20, she endured the devastation of a massive earthquake in India that claimed over 20,000 lives. Amid the aftermath and sleepless nights outdoors, art became her solace—a ritual she continues today, rising early to create. After earning graduate degrees from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and building a successful career in technology, Piya committed to her full-time art practice in 2014. Since then, her work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums across the U.S., and she is proudly represented by PXP Contemporary gallery. Piya’s art and story have been featured in Juniper Rag, Art Mums United, the Telegraph & Gazette, Boston Magazine, and Worcester Magazine. She was also a 2023 recipient of the Worcester Arts Council / American Rescue Plan grant. Through her art, Piya continues to explore themes of resilience and light, infusing each piece with the emotional depth of her life’s journey.