AIDEN MCMICHAEL, AMERICAN   B. 1999

Aiden McMichael, was born in Austin, TX in 1999 and raised in San Antonio, where he currently lives and works. Aiden’s natural creativity flourished from an early age, as he spent numerous hours drawing prolifically with his friends and siblings during school and at home. As he matured, his artistic subjects evolved from stickmen doodles and finger paints to expressionism and oil paintings.

“During middle school, I’d get kicked out of class for drawing on the desks,” Aiden recalls.

In high school, Aiden designed and sold t-shirts to raise money for charity and for his own self expression. During his junior year, while studying abroad in France and visiting the Louvre, his passion for painting was ignited, influenced by the country’s architecture and romantic lifestyle. As a senior, Aiden co-founded and served as the vice president of the Alamo Heights’ Art Club. He also attended the SW School of Arts Teen Intensive Program that same year, where he was introduced to working with oil paint, expanding his artistic horizons.

After graduating from high school, Aiden interned at Blonde Creative Studio before enrolling at the Savannah College of Art and Design. However, his pursuit of alternative forms of education led him back to San Antonio, where he worked as a studio assistant for artist Cruz Ortiz, learning various skills in artwork fabrication and screen printing.

Aiden continued his artistic journey by attending other art classes and mentorships. Notably, he participated in the Mark Carter oil workshop, where he relearned to see color and value, and the Ty Nathan Clark mentorship, which provided him with the skills and network to advance as a career artist.

Despite not having a formal studio space or traditional education, Aiden manages to create ambitious and captivating work in the corners of garages and spare bedrooms in San Antonio. This has led to multiple exhibitions of his work, both locally curated and nationally showcased at fairs.