Darren Goins (b. 1984) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work bridges the digital and the handcrafted, forging a hybrid aesthetic uniquely his own. After earning a BFA in Photography & Printmaking from UNC Charlotte in 2009, Goins went on to live and create in New York and Los Angeles. More recently, he has expanded his base to Abiquiú, New Mexico, and has also contributed design and fabrication to film projects (including Amsterdam and The Mandalorian).

Goins’s studio practice has focused heavily on his signature reverse-etched acrylic panels  and experimental mixed media. Each Goins painting begins as a clear acrylic sheet completely masked with tape. He draws in software (Photoshop, MS Paint) and programs those drawings into a CNC router, which cuts through the tape—etching lines and contours into the acrylic. But here’s the twist: he then paints onto the routed side, which becomes the back of the panel. The viewer ultimately sees the reverse face of the acrylic, and the image appears as if it is emerging or pressing outward from behind the surface.

Because Goins works “blind” (he cannot see the emerging image until the final stages due to the masking), his process intentionally embraces chance. He views the CNC router not just as a tool, but as a co-author, its own “gesture” intervenes in the creative act, injecting unpredictability into the polished result. The final works delight in tension: they feel both mechanical and organic, digitally rendered yet palpably alive.

Goins’ works, both abstract and vibrant, explore the dialogue between human touch and machine precision, offering collectors a visually dynamic reflection on the role of technology in contemporary painting.