Tara McPherson
Tara McPherson (born April 7, 1976, in San Francisco, California) is an American artist based in New York. McPherson creates paintings, murals, poster art, and designer toys, within the New Contemporary Art movement.
Tara McPherson

Chris from Th' L.G., USA · San Diego ComicCon 2007 (cropped) · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Name
- Tara McPherson
- Born
- 7 April 1976
- Birthplace
- San Francisco, California
- Field
- Painter
- Training
- Art Center College of Design
- Movement
- New Contemporary Art
- Nationality
- United States.
- Occupation
- illustrator, painter, penciller, designer and artist.
- Fields
- comic, painting, design and toy.
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Documentary summary
Tara McPherson (born April 7, 1976, in San Francisco, California) is an American artist based in New York. McPherson creates paintings, murals, poster art, and designer toys, within the New Contemporary Art movement.
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q2393823 · wikipedia · Tara McPherson
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Tara McPherson • Birth Name — Tara McPherson • Born — 7 April 1976 • Birthplace — San Francisco, California • Field — Painter • Training — Art Center College of Design • Movement — New Contemporary Art • Website — taramcpherson.com
Biography
Biography
Tara McPherson studied art at Santa Monica Community College and earned her BFA from Art Center in Pasadena, CA in August 2001 with an Illustration major and a Fine Art minor. McPherson's artwork has been featured in The New York Times, Esquire, Vanity Fair, Playboy, Elle, Marie Claire, Juxtapoz, Hi-Fructose, and the Los Angeles Times. In 2007, she won an Esky Award from Esquire for Best Concert Poster. McPherson is married to her business partner, Sean Leonard. Together they have two children; sons Ronan born in 2012 and Orion born in 2016.
Solo exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
In 2006, McPherson's works were exhibited in a solo show at BLK/MARKT in Los Angeles, followed in 2008 by Lost Constellations, her first solo show at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York. In 2015, Dorothy Circus Gallery hosted McPherson's first solo exhibition in Rome. In 2010 Bunny in the Moon opened at Jonathan Levine Gallery followed by Wandering Luminations in 2013.
Art Toys
Art Toys
Tara McPherson is one of the leading female artists in the Designer Toy movement. She has collaborated with brands like Kidrobot, ToyQube, and most recently Tomenosuke and Circus Posterus. In collaboration with Kidrobot Black, she won Toy of the Year in 2012 for her Lilitu figure based on the Sumerian Myth Lilith. In 2018 she won another Designer Toy Award in the category Best Licensed Toy for her Wonder Woman Art Figure.
Monographs
Monographs
Published by Dark Horse Comics, Tara McPherson has released a series of Art Books. • "Lonely Heart: The Art of Tara McPherson” • "Lost Constellations: The Art of Tara McPherson” • "Bunny in the Moon: The Art of Tara McPherson" • "Wandering Luminations: The Art of Tara McPherson"
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1976
Tara McPherson was born on 7 April 1976.
Context
Primary material
Context
The circumstances in which Tara McPherson stands. Recorded with the occupation graphic artist. Recorded as illustrator, painter, penciller, designer and artist.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q2393823: Tara McPherson
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Tara McPherson”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Citations
References
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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