Darryn George was born in 1970 in Christchurch. He is of Ngapuhi, Ngati Wai decent. George graduated with a BFA (Painting) from Ilam School of Fine Arts, University of Canterbury, in 1993. He gained his Diploma of Teaching from Christchurch College of Education the following year and he graduated with an MFA (Painting) from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 1998. He has been Head of Department, Art at Christ’s College since 1999.

George has shown paintings in major public exhibitions at Christchurch Art Gallery, Govett Brewster, Wellington City Gallery, Auckland Art Gallery and Te Papa Tongarewa. His paintings are represented in important private and public collections throughout New Zealand and overseas including Te Papa Tongarewa, Christchurch Art Gallery, Deutsche Bank and the Chartwell Collection. He exhibited in the 2013 Venice Biennale as part of the Personal Structures official collateral events. In 2020 he was awarded the Wallace Arts Trust Second Award.