Max Wheaton (b. 1991) is an artist based in the Bay Area. His practice spans ceramics, painting, printmaking, and mixed media sculptures. Wheaton frequently references and remixes characters from movies, animated television shows, toys, and pop culture. In each case, he reinvents his subject, adding elements of punk and dark fantasy. He explains, “Art can be funky. It’s about being creative and doing something different. Art is an image of yourself inside of you, and so don’t be scared of it. Be yourself and create in your way.”
Since joining NIAD Art Center in 2024, Wheaton has participated in exhibitions at Richmond Art Center as well as the Main Gallery and Annex Gallery at NIAD. He was awarded the Artistic Achievement Award for his featured work in Art of the African Diaspora 2025 at Richmond Art Center. Many of his wall-hanging and freestanding ceramic sculptures were featured in Flesh Vessels (2025), a group exhibition organized by Chinzalée Sonami for the Main Gallery at NIAD.
