Aaron D. Williams

Aaron D. Williams (Aawful Aaron), born 1993/11/01, is a contemporary artist, designer, muralist, and entrepreneur. His alias, a cunning play on the word awful, also a contranym meaning awe-inspiring and horrible, personifies Williams' aptitude to challenge perception, perspective, and meaning through visual communication. A multi-dimensional creative, Williams' visual storytelling examines topics of social significance related to identity, culture, and mental health. Working primarily in mixed media, Williams uses layering, manipulation, and distortion to deconstruct perceived realities. Williams blends aesthetics of traditional painting and street art and draws influences from Afro-surrealism, science fiction, and anime. Williams illustrates vibrant, dreamlike scenescapes in which individuals clash with larger forces at play. These figures— symbols of "otherness" morph and transmute into supernatural beings while navigating consciousness-expanding, alternative universes where the marvelous and mundane collide. Williams is the CEO of Aawful Aaron. Williams had a solo museum exhibition at MOCA Cleveland. His work has been featured in the Cleveland Public Library, Riffe Gallery, Green Light Gallery, and FutureLAND® A.Rt Show. He has partnered with Next, FRONT International, Maker's Mark, and Collinwood Community Development Corporation. Williams currently works as the Arts Education Specialist at Zygote Press.