Saydi Kaufman was born in Tarpon Springs, Florida. She moved to New York City in 1998 where she had a career in publishing for several years before returning to school to pursue her M.F.A. She holds a Master of Fine Arts Degree from Montclair State University and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Florida. While at Montclair State University she was awarded a Graduate Assistantship and nominated for the Joan Mitchell Foundation grant. Saydi now teaches painting and Graduate Independent Study at Montclair State. She recently curated a show called “Paper Trails: Works from the New York Metro” in Auckland, New Zealand. In between teaching, curating, and traveling, Saydi maintains a studio in Passaic, New Jersey.