Ivan Toth Depeña is an artist currently based in Charlotte, NC, after having lived and worked in Miami, FL, and NY, NY. With a Masters Degree in Architecture from Harvard University’s GSD. Depeña’s artistic production is informed by his experience in art, architecture, technology, and design, and encompasses a range of media. He works frequently in the public art realm while maintaining a rigorous self directed studio practice.
Regarding process and inspiration for “making”, Depeña is absorbed in combining the ideas of
chance and intention as both mechanism and inspiration in his studio output. Surprise can come from
the accident, the anomaly or the serendipitous. But the unforeseen can also come from careful
planning and rule structure (I.E. John Cage). He implements both methods mentioned above to
establish a neutral ground where he then begins to overlay his specific reactions. This process is
repeated via layering until the result has the right combination of both planned and random results.

Using an amalgamation of advanced fabrication methods and traditional, hands-on techniques, such
as painting, drawing, video, photography, and sculpture, Depeña explores new ways of creating and
experimenting with material output. He pursues the intersection between different art disciplines with
the aim of choreographing the moment when these aspects come together seamlessly.
In his public art work, Depeña is often inspired by using light and glass as a response to the
environment, while incorporating site-specific data and patterns to develop the conceptual
infrastructure for the piece. He is particularly interested in how public art actively engages public
space while fostering community building and connection to place. Most of his projects contain
interactive components that respond to the public or the environment in both subtle and bolder
forms. He has over 20 years of experience working with architects, fabricators, and engineers, to
realize his artistic vision and deliver reliable and impactful projects. Depeña’s studio is proud to not
rely on a singular artistic style or “brand” that gets repurposed repetitively.

Depeña has completed large public commissions in New York, NY; Denver, CO; Albuquerque, NM;
Charlotte, NC: Nashville, TN, and Miami, FL. In 2019, he was selected to lead the design team to create
a visual landmark for Charlotte, NC in the form of a pedestrian bridge that will span across I277, and
connect Charlotte’s Uptown to the surrounding neighborhoods. He has been honored to have his
projects selected for the Americans for the Arts Public Art Network (PAN) Year in Review including
“Air/Traffic/Control” in 2019, and “Surface" in 2018. He has exhibited extensively, nationally and
internationally, in solo and group exhibitions, including at the McColl Center, Praxis NY, NYC; New
Britain Museum of American Art, Miami Art Museum, and the Frost Art Museum. His work is held in
numerous public and private collections.