Dari Calamari isn’t her birth name. With creative license and flair, Dari chose a surname that would reflect not only her fluid nature, but also capture an artistic medium. Coming from the Latin word “calamarium,” Calamari means ink pot or pen case. Something she is rarely without. 

As a child, Calamari always believed in magic. Not the pulling rabbits out of a hat kind, but a belief in the invisible energy forces that swirl around us. Though she didn’t know the name for it, Calamari understood you could harness the power of positivity and envision things into reality. She knew she wanted to be an artist and paint murals — and she has manifested just that.

Dari Calamari isn’t her birth name. With creative license and flair, Dari chose a surname that would reflect not only her fluid nature, but also capture an artistic medium. Coming from the Latin word “calamarium,” Calamari means ink pot or pen case. Something she is rarely without. 

As a child, Calamari always believed in magic. Not the pulling rabbits out of a hat kind, but a belief in the invisible energy forces that swirl around us. Though she didn’t know the name for it, Calamari understood you could harness the power of positivity and envision things into reality. She knew she wanted to be an artist and paint murals — and she has manifested just that.

Calamari grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and, like many children, she loved art and was never without coloring books and crayons. As she got older, Calamari’s passion deepended and eventually expanded into free form drawing and painting. She was fascinated with optical illusions and Magic Eye, the early 1990’s craze of autostereograms, 2-D images that appear to be 3-D. She was captivated by visual puzzles that inspired curiosity and admired the work of Bridget Riley, Victor Vasarely and M.C. Escher.

After taking her first official art class at Butler High School, she was hooked. However, when considering college and a career path, artist wasn’t on the list. Calamari loved children, and they loved her — she enrolled at UNC Charlotte to study elementary education. Yet, the pull of art persisted, and she began taking classes from the College of Arts + Architecture, starting with drawings and fibers, which led to printmaking, sculpture and her concentration, ceramics. Eventually Calamari decided to merge her studies and in 2010, she graduated with a degree in art education and began teaching at Hough High School.

Calamari grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina and, like many children, she loved art and was never without coloring books and crayons. As she got older, Calamari’s passion deepended and eventually expanded into free form drawing and painting. She was fascinated with optical illusions and Magic Eye, the early 1990’s craze of autostereograms, 2-D images that appear to be 3-D. She was captivated by visual puzzles that inspired curiosity and admired the work of Bridget Riley, Victor Vasarely and M.C. Escher.

After taking her first official art class at Butler High School, she was hooked. However, when considering college and a career path, artist wasn’t on the list. Calamari loved children, and they loved her — she enrolled at UNC Charlotte to study elementary education. Yet, the pull of art persisted, and she began taking classes from the College of Arts + Architecture, starting with drawings and fibers, which led to printmaking, sculpture and her concentration, ceramics. Eventually Calamari decided to merge her studies and in 2010, she graduated with a degree in art education and began teaching at Hough High School.

Calamari was in the midst of her first semester when she realized — teaching high school wasn’t her passion. She loved interacting with students and opening them to the art world, but too often administrative tasks and parent conferences diverted her from the craft she enjoyed, weighing her spirit down. 

Unsure what to do, Calamari turned to a field that had served her family well — the armed forces. Her father and sister served in the Navy, and she decided to enlist in the Air Force. She admits it was a dramatic left turn, which she thought could be a good thing. For the next four years, Calamari was immersed in intelligence analytics in Augusta, Georgia — and again, she knew. The Air Force provided valuable and lifelong skills, but like teaching high school, it wasn’t something that made her heart sing.

While visiting South America in 2017, she felt the magic of her spirit awakening — and she was reminded of an experience at UNC Charlotte. Charlotte-based fine artist and illustrator John Hairston Jr. ’03 was a guest speaker in one of her classes, and it marked the first time Calamari had seen a person of color as a working artist. Hairston demonstrated that it was possible to have a flourishing career as a Black artist. 

In Brazil, surrounded by the gritty and authentic murals of Rio de Janeiro and inspired by Hairston’s example, Calamari decided to pursue art full time. Upon returning to Richmond, she began working as a mural apprentice and attending mural festivals. Calamari lost herself in her art and spent days on end immersed in her creations — her heart was singing.

While visiting South America in 2017, she felt the magic of her spirit awakening — and she was reminded of an experience at UNC Charlotte. Charlotte-based fine artist and illustrator John Hairston Jr. ’03 was a guest speaker in one of her classes, and it marked the first time Calamari had seen a person of color as a working artist. Hairston demonstrated that it was possible to have a flourishing career as a Black artist. 

In Brazil, surrounded by the gritty and authentic murals of Rio de Janeiro and inspired by Hairston’s example, Calamari decided to pursue art full time. Upon returning to Richmond, she began working as a mural apprentice and attending mural festivals. Calamari lost herself in her art and spent days on end immersed in her creations — her heart was singing.

In 2018, Calamari moved back to Charlotte — a city she knew well and where she had an extensive network of family and friends. Not long after returning, she attended Boom Charlotte, an artist-led performance and visual showcase of contemporary and experimental works. In a moment that can only be described as serendipitous, she met Charlotte muralist and co-founder of the artist community Brand the Moth, Sam Guzzie. She encouraged Calamari to apply to the eight-week META mural residency, for which she was selected.

The prestigious residency offered five artists an immersive crash course in murals, exploring both artistic methodology and the business side of creative arts. The artists worked on a collaborative piece, and each completed a solo mural. Calamari credits this experience with teaching her many valuable and useful skills and for helping further discover her passion. Rather than painting huge buildings, she preferred to focus on smaller pieces that brought life to unexpected places. Calamari begins showcasing her art across the city — on walls, picnic tables, light poles and school hallways.

Fast forward to 2020. Walking on the greenway one June morning, Calamari spies a colorful rug painted along the trail and begins imagining painting on streets and sidewalks. That night she dreams of puzzle pieces floating off the ground. A few days later, she received a call to participate in the Charlotte Black Lives Matter mural on North Tryon Street. One of 16 artists, Calamari was assigned to the finale, the “R” to complete the timely and poignant project. As she sets up, she looks at the artists to her left and laughs — it is none other than John Hairston, the person who showed what was possible. She could feel the magic again.

Broad Brush

Calamari continues to expand her craft and is constantly exploring unique mediums and methods of expression beyond murals. She’s got an extensive collection of paintings on wood and canvas, including a series inspired by the Black Panther films. She’s got a free set of digital wallpapers on her site. She also expresses herself in front of the camera as a model – even making an appearance in another Charlotte mural by Dustin Moates.

At the moment, Calamari is most excited to dive into a completely different field — a new vision to manifest. She’s dipping her toe into the fashion world, incorporating her unique designs into casual wear like hoodies and leggings. Calamari recently created a few prototypes to assess their appearance, quality and durability. She’s currently seeking marketing and business consulting to help bring this next phase to fruition.

Making Niner Nation Proud

Students come to UNC Charlotte from different backgrounds and leave as alums on a variety of paths. What we have in common is that we all take a piece of Niner Nation on our journey and use it in a unique way. And when you think of it like that, we’re all striking gold.

In 2018, Calamari moved back to Charlotte — a city she knew well and where she had an extensive network of family and friends. Not long after returning, she attended Boom Charlotte, an artist-led performance and visual showcase of contemporary and experimental works. In a moment that can only be described as serendipitous, she met Charlotte muralist and co-founder of the artist community Brand the Moth, Sam Guzzie. She encouraged Calamari to apply to the eight-week META mural residency, for which she was selected.

The prestigious residency offered five artists an immersive crash course in murals, exploring both artistic methodology and the business side of creative arts. The artists worked on a collaborative piece, and each completed a solo mural. Calamari credits this experience with teaching her many valuable and useful skills and for helping further discover her passion. Rather than painting huge buildings, she preferred to focus on smaller pieces that brought life to unexpected places. Calamari begins showcasing her art across the city — on walls, picnic tables, light poles and school hallways.

Fast forward to 2020. Walking on the greenway one June morning, Calamari spies a colorful rug painted along the trail and begins imagining painting on streets and sidewalks. That night she dreams of puzzle pieces floating off the ground. A few days later, she received a call to participate in the Charlotte Black Lives Matter mural on North Tryon Street. One of 16 artists, Calamari was assigned to the finale, the “R” to complete the timely and poignant project. As she sets up, she looks at the artists to her left and laughs — it is none other than John Hairston, the person who showed what was possible. She could feel the magic again.

Broad Brush

Calamari continues to expand her craft and is constantly exploring unique mediums and methods of expression beyond murals. She’s got an extensive collection of paintings on wood and canvas, including a series inspired by the Black Panther films. She’s got a free set of digital wallpapers on her site. She also expresses herself in front of the camera as a model – even making an appearance in another Charlotte mural by Dustin Moates.

At the moment, Calamari is most excited to dive into a completely different field — a new vision to manifest. She’s dipping her toe into the fashion world, incorporating her unique designs into casual wear like hoodies and leggings. Calamari recently created a few prototypes to assess their appearance, quality and durability. She’s currently seeking marketing and business consulting to help bring this next phase to fruition.

Making Niner Nation Proud

Students come to UNC Charlotte from different backgrounds and leave as alums on a variety of paths. What we have in common is that we all take a piece of Niner Nation on our journey and use it in a unique way. And when you think of it like that, we’re all striking gold.