Kayley Jane Garcia Dykman
Kayley, raised in Fountain Valley, California, is a representational artist who largely works in oil. As a Filipino-American hapa—someone of mixed ancestry—she actively seeks to give authentic recognition (both on the canvas and behind) to underrepresented communities, heritage, and culture.
Her current body of work, Pasifika, aims to celebrate and share Polynesian culture, arts, and experiences. At a young age, Kayley began Polynesian dancing, which has since opened her eyes to Pacific island cultures. Because of this and her fascination with the natural environment and traditional arts, her work incorporates portraiture alongside vibrant colors, crafts, flora, fauna, arts, and customs familiar to the Pacific islands.
In 2023, Kayley graduated from Laguna College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting and a minor in Art History. In addition to other recognitions, Kayley was the youngest exhibiting artist at the 2023 Festival of the Arts in Laguna Beach. She also placed 1st in Teravarna’s 2024 International Portrait Competition and was an honorable mention in the National Portrait Society’s 2023 and 2024 Future Generation Competition. Now a graduate, Kayley is transitioning into her studio practice at home in Fountain Valley.
Education
LCAD Drawing BFA & Art History Minor 2019- 2022
LCAD Summer Programs 2018-2019
Fountain Valley Art Center 2008-2018
Awards & Honors
Portrait Society Future Generation Finalist 2025
Teravarna 9th Portrait International Art Competition First Place 2024
Homiens Art Prize Recipient February 2024
Sanchez Art Center Left Coast Annual Merit Award 2024
Portrait Society Future Generation Honorable Mention 2023, 2024
Colors of Humanity Art Gallery “Red” Show Honorable Mention 2024
Blue Koi Gallery “Bold Colors” First Place 2024
Blue Koi Gallery “Figurative” Third Place 2024
Blue Koi Gallery “Patterns” Honorable Mention 2024
Plotkin Foundation Scholarship 2021
Watercolor West Scholarship 2021
Select Exhibition Record
“ROOTS” Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH, 2024
“Small Works” Main Street Arts, Clifton Springs, NY, 2024
CAC 113th Gold Medal Exhibition, Orange, CA, 2024
“National Open Juried Exhibition” Providence Art Club, RI, 2024
“Dreamscape” Holy Art Gallery, London, 2024
“Left Coast Annual” Sanchez Art Center, Pacifica, CA, 2024
“Belonging” Visionary Art Collective, 2024
“Seasons: Spring” Exhibizone, Biafarin Online Exhibition, 2024
“Figurative Art Exhibition” Light Space Time Art, 2024
“Red” Colors of Humanity Art Gallery, 2024
“Bold Colors”, “Patterns”, “Figurative” Blue Koi Gallery, 2024
“Power in Identity” Group Exhibition, CSUF, CA, 2024
Festival of the Arts, Laguna Beach, CA 2023
BFA Fine Arts Exhibition LCAD Gallery 2022, 2023
LPAPA Next Generation 2021, 2022
“Centered on the Center” Huntington Beach Art Center 2019-2020
Publications
New Visionary Magazine. Issue 10, Spring 2024
"Te Hutiraa Aho" Artistonish. Issue 43, February 2024: 41
“21 Under 31.” Southwest Art , Volume 52, No.2, August/September 2022, 67-68
“Moonlight” & “Mama.” The Incandescent Review. Issue 7 (2021): 6, 37
Related Experience
LCAD Fine Art Tutor 2024
LCAD Fine Art Teacher’s Assistant 2023
CAC Gold Medal Exhibition- Event Volunteer 2023
LPAPA Next Generation Paint-out 2021, 2022
Laguna Art Museum- Event Volunteer 2021
Jay Teagi Fountain Valley, CA - Poem Book Illustrator 2020
Festival of the Arts: Pageant of the Masters Laguna Beach, CA- Volunteer Makeup Artist 2018
Professional Affiliations
California Art Club Mentorship Member 2023-Current
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association 2021-2023
Peahce Project Core Artist Team Member 2021-2022
College Art Association Student Member 2021
Huntington Beach Art Center Artist Council Member 2019- 2022
Art History Education
Mexican Muralism AH404
Illuminating Women AH206
Intro to Exhibition Design AH409
Nature in Art : Japan, Korea, Tibet AH205
Aesthetics AH420
Modern + Contemporary Art History AH320
Asian Art History AH335
Western Art History 2 AH220
AP Western Art History 1 AH210