Essie Somma’s work explores cultural identity and overcoming patriarchal parameters through magical realism. Using object, landscape, gender expression, and nostalgia as foils, her paintings highlight subtle strangeness in the ways women move through the world. Her affinity for feminine hijinks and playing pretend leads to figurative works that play off dark humor. Ultimately, Essie’s paintings depict a feral reality simmering under the surface, one that rages for connection to the natural, the unexplainable, and each other.​

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Essie attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London, and received her bachelor's from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She is currently an MFA candidate at the University of Florida.