Infected by Art Book - Volume 14

Dani Julian is a San Diego–based digital artist whose work inhabits the captivating spaces between magic realism, pop surrealism, and fantasy. Drawing from history, anthropology, folklore, paganism, and the sciences, Dani creates intricate visual narratives that merge the ancient with the modern, the mystical with the subcultural. Her influences span the medieval, Pre-Raphaelite, and early Renaissance movements, reimagined through the lens of contemporary urban and punk aesthetics.

Her art often explores the fluidity of identity within underground cultures, the strange and symbolic language of dreams, and the nuanced dynamics of human connection. Each piece is designed to challenge perception, stir emotion, and ignite dialogue, while simultaneously imparting an unmistakable sense of visual magic and beauty.

Working primarily in digital media, Dani approaches her process with the patience of a traditional painter and the innovation of a modern storyteller. She begins with loose concept sketches and extensive research into the historical and mythological references that shape her subjects. From there, she layers painterly textures, luminous color palettes, and fine-grained details, creating atmospheres that feel at once immersive and otherworldly. The result is a body of work that invites viewers into carefully constructed worlds—spaces where symbolism and emotion intertwine.

For gallery pieces, Dani prints her digital paintings as high quality archival giclées on canvas or paper, then hand-enhances them with metal leafing, handmade watercolors, mica powders, acrylics, and gemstones. Wherever it is showcased, Dani’s work resonates with audiences drawn to stories that feel both timeless and defiantly of the moment.

Dani is a resident artist at Raven’s Gallery (Echo Park, Los Angeles) and The Vault Gallery (Downtown Los Angeles). Her work has been featured by Beautiful Bizarre Magazine via their art blog, and she has been granted inclusion into a small group of international digital artists (monikered DAE, or Digital Artist Exhibitions), pioneered by noteworthy visual creatives FAYBEL and Eli Birdie. She has collaborated with several noteworthy punk artists and acts in the international hardcore scene and is currently working as the senior concept artist for a top-secret supernatural dark comedy for Crunchyroll. She is also the bestselling author of two book series, the dark fantasy coming-of-age saga Shale City: A Punk Fairytale, and the rollicking monster hunter adventure Black Dog and Rebel Rose: A Love Story.

She currently splits time between Los Angeles and her primary residence in San Diego, CA. where she lives in a charmingly rickety WWI- era California Craftsman cottage with her son, Ryker, and a fat, talkative Tortie cat named Poppet.