Aaron Coleman

Aaron Coleman is a multi-disciplinary artist and associate professor at the Herron School of Art and Design. With an MFA from Northern Illinois University, his work in printmaking, sculpture, and installation has gained international recognition, featuring in collections like the Janet Turner Print Museum and the National Library of France. Coleman's art is deeply rooted in exploring social themes, particularly the intricate and pervasive histories of race and class in the United States.

Through a multi-media approach, Coleman reworks and re-contextualizes everyday objects and found imagery to confront uncomfortable truths and hidden narratives of racism and classism. His practice engages a critical analysis of authoritarian systems—religion, science, and anthropology—that upholds racial and class-based oppression.

His prints and mixed media pieces are known for their dynamic integration of comic book aesthetics, stained glass motifs, children's book illustrations, and offensive caricatures, crafted into powerful social commentaries. His installations offer new narratives by juxtaposing unexpected objects such as picket fences, gym flooring, textiles, and reinterpreted racist memorabilia. Through these constructions, Coleman challenges viewers to confront the enduring impact of systemic power and control in modern society.