Despina Konstantinides Cushing is a New York–based artist of Greek descent, renowned for her large-scale abstract and figurative contemporary landscape paintings that explore metaphysical inner spaces. She has been practicing oil painting since the fourth grade. After earning a degree in philosophy from Trinity College, she pursued an MFA in painting from Indiana University.

Her artwork is featured in prominent collections, including the Consulate of Greece in New York, the AIG Corporate Art Collection, The Delson, the George T. Douris Tower, and numerous private collections. Additionally, her work has been recognized on HBO’s hit show Divorce.

Despina has recently presented her solo exhibition, that which dwells, at the Lobby Gallery of 1133 6th Avenue, New York, organized by Durst and Chashama. Curated by Jiwoo Kim, the exhibition was highlighted in Art Spiel’s “Must-See Shows” for August 2024 and draws its title from Friedrich Hölderlin’s poem The Journey: “Reluctant to leave the place / Is that which dwells near the origin.”

More recently, she created the Saint Francis in Ecstasy Contemplative Space, a visionary work at the beginning of her ongoing exploration of contemplative spaces, presented at the Maliotis Cultural Center in Brookline, Massachusetts.