Irina Taran was born on May 13, 1954 in Kingisepp (then Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic). Her father was an officer in the military, and her mother worked in commerce. When Irina was a child, her father was transferred to Krasnodar, where she started attending an art school. Later, she studied at the Painting and Drawing department of Kuban State University of Krasnodar, graduating from it in 1977. There, she also met her future husband, Mikhail Taran.

After graduating, Irina moved to Ufa with her spouse at a friend’s invitation. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, she participated in the state system of the arts: she was admitted into the Art Fund of the Soviet Union, took part in exhibitions, and worked on state contracts. In the 90s, she made ceramic bead necklaces for local TV presenters to earn some money.

The artist shares her art studio with her husband, Mikhail Taran. They work both together and separately. Irina Taran works with ceramics, drawing, and painting. Since 2000, she has been a member of Artists Unions of Russia and Bashkortostan.

Her works can be found in various museum and gallery collections, such as the Bashkir State Art Museum (Mikhail Nesterov Museum) and Magnitogorsk Picture Gallery (Chelyabinsk region of Russia).