Born (1994) and raised on Chicago’s Southside, Kayla Mahaffey grew up learning to appreciate the charm and soul of her city. The world around her showed how beauty still coexists between the grittiness of our society and how the line between whimsy and reality blurs from time to time. After attending American Academy of Art for a few years, she honed in on her skills and perfected her abilities. She eventually discovered her style, by occasionally taking inspiration from media and cartoons and mixing it with fine art techniques. Her colorful paintings contain hints of whimsy and realism that tell a story of life’s journey, nostalgia, and communal topics that sometimes go unheard.