Michael Nuñez

Michael Nuñez (b. 1994) is an artist and writer based in the Bay Area. His practice incorporates meticulous research and spans painting & drawing, sculpture, and graphic novellas. As a prolific storyteller, Nuñez gravitates towards folklore and urban legends, explaining, “I’m drawn to the supernatural. I’ve come to think there are some things in the world that no one knows.” Some of his work shrouds familiar stories in mystery; other pieces are illustrative and sequential deep dives into obscure myths from around the globe — and beyond.

One of his ongoing zine series records expeditions through alien planets with invented flora and fauna. On his creature and character development, Nuñez shares, “I get ideas by watching nature documentaries and then mixing that style with some alien stuff. One creature on this alien world is based on a prehistoric fish. I based the movements of another one on the basilisk lizard found in Central and South America. It can walk on water.”

Michael Nuñez joined NIAD Art Center in 2017. In recent years, his work has been featured in group shows at the Oakland Museum of California, Open Windows Collective SF, and UC Hastings Law, as well as in numerous on-site and virtual collections selected by guest curators. Nuñez's paintings, ceramics, and comics were showcased in Telling Stories Even in Our Dreams, a two-person exhibition organized by Liz Hernández in October, 2024 for the Main Gallery at NIAD.