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. 

I'm drawn to the monstrous. I'm drawn to the supernatural. There are people who don't believe or have a hard time accepting superstitions, and those people are called skeptics. And unfortunately, as I've seen on paranormal shows, skeptics can be proven wrong. I watch a lot of paranormal recordings -- I've seen footage of a door opening and closing on its own -- and after watching these experiences people have had, I've come to think there are some things in the world that no one knows.

I check on wikipedia and do a lot of research. I research folklore and myths from around the world, like Kuchisake-onna the slit-mouthed woman from feudal Japan, The Pukwudgie of Wampanoag folklore, or The Owlman in Cornwall. I made this painting of the Headless Horseman. It's an old tale in Sleepy Hollow which was based on New York. The horseman was actually a Hessian, basically a German mercenary hired by the British to keep the colonies under British control. A canon fired and blasted the Hessian's head off! According to the history, that's what happened in this Sleepy Hollow during the conflict in the American Revolutionary War. I do a lot of research because I want to make sure I get it right — at least somewhat right. 

Some of my paintings are inspired by watching old movies, films from the 40s or 50s. The Mummy, and then there's The Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Dracula with the infamous "look into my eyes" stare. In one of my paintings, if you look at Dracula standing to the side, it's like the eyes are watching you still.

I get some ideas by watching documentaries and then mixing that style with some alien stuff. I’ve made books about alien world expeditions. 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.

I was surprised to see how many books I'd made. I had to go through a lot of work and detail, and I just didn't realize how many of these I'd made. It helps me get some of the stories out of my head, but more stories keep growing back, so unfortunately my head's still crowded. I make the books and make room for new stories to come in.