Michael Banks

Michael Bank’s artwork reflects an abstract and expressionistic style using a mixture of found objects and artist materials that is further complemented by a vivid color palette of penetrating red, yellow and green

Raised by his single mother in a housing project in northern Alabama, Bank’s artistic prowess for drawing and painting was evident at an early age, as he began to create artwork using whatever materials and mediums he could obtain with encouragement from his mother.

The elongation and distended form of his figures, characterized by their small, facial attributes and swollen, mournful gazes reflects a certain despondency that the artist may have endured due to the passing of his mother in 1992. It was at this time that Bank’s passion for art faded, culminating in a five-year period of deep depression. It was not until 1997 that Banks recalled his mother’s accolades, and began the healing process via the creation of his own unique brand of artwork.

Today Banks continues painting full time. He is a family man and a proud parent of a baby son. “I still experiment, combining both found objects as well as artist materials into my work. Everyday I try to create. Painting is my life.”