Austin Howlett Artist Bio My name is Austin Howlett and I am a Maui raised artist now living and working in Los Alamos New Mexico and I specialize in surreal figurative oil painting. I attended Colorado College from 2011 to 2015 where I earned a bachelors degree in Studio Art. In 2020 I started working with Abend Gallery in Denver Colorado and am still represented by them today. My debut solo show with Abend was in June of 2022 and was titled “Terra Human”. I primarily derive my inspiration from the people and environments that surround me so that I can create paintings that explore emotional vulnerability and self discovery. I am very much inspired by the inherent flaws found in humanity as a whole and in us as individuals and the small steps we can take to become better people. I love working as an artist because with every painting I feel as if am an adding to a sort of imagined world in my head and it allows me to connect with others through shared emotions and thoughts. Nothing brings me more joy than having a stranger really connect with a painting that I’ve created and that painting allowing us to have an open and honest conversation about our unique experiences. Creating imagery has always been the best way for me to communicate with others and I feel honored to speak through my art as a career. Growing up in Maui I gained an intense appreciation for how the natural world can influence our wellbeing. Our ties to nature are more prevalent that we think and so I strive to portray this connection in my artwork as a reminder.