Abby is a Chicago-based painter and illustrator who loves blending bright colors with stylized subjects to create lush, illustrative work. Inspired by the mundane, the magical, and the richly saturated, her art pulls from both traditional and digital methods. A multidisciplinary artist focused on painting and visual development; she creates everything from conceptual pieces to murals and illustrations. She earned her BA in Illustration from Columbia College Chicago in 2023.

Amirah Arts is a Chicago South-Suburban native who specializes in painting using acrylics, yarn, a variety mediums and unique objects. She was inspired to continue developing her painting techniques while living alone and obtaining her B.S. in Accounting in 2020. James says painting helps with her patience by bringing a calmness and peace of mind that she has never experienced. She is known for her Bob Ross inspired style of capturing nature as well as her abstract yarn inclusive paintings. Her vision is to continue creating more art while forever using the world as her canvas.

Anthony is a Chicago-based visual artist and founder of HAPPY Days Apparel. After a mental health crisis in college led him to discover art as a form of therapy, it quickly became both a personal outlet and a way to connect with others. His work ranges from portraiture and collage exploring the Black community’s relationship with media like anime and comics, to colorful, emotional illustrations. Through projects like FadingRoyalty and his fashion brand, Anthony uses art to express, reflect, and spark conversation around mental health.

Brittany is a Chicago-based artist working in painting and mixed media. Her work is rooted in storytelling—layered, a little raw, and built through experimentation. She often makes her own materials, treating the creative process as part of the final piece. She’s also expanding into screenwriting, looking to evolve her art into narrative form. She’s drawn to spaces where people really engage with the work, and aims to create pieces that pull viewers in and hold their attention.

Camui is a 3D animation and gaming major who loves drawing manga‑style portraits and listening to Japanese rock bands. She started practicing the JOJO art style last year and recently began creating musician portraits. She hopes to dive deeper into expressive speed painting and share the style and influences that inspire her.

DJ is a Chicago native, an epoxy coating contractor, and a lifelong artist. He’s been to Art Battle a few times and loves the energy, and now he’s finally stepping in to compete.

Eddie Maldonado is a 17-year-old Hispanic artist from Chicago. He started drawing at 7 and began taking art seriously by 14, eventually building a career from it. Inspired by the culture around him—hip hop, sports, and the energy of Chicago—his work reflects his roots and the experiences that shaped him.

Joseph is a Chicago artist who embraces the weird and grotesque, presenting it all in a jovial light. His work draws heavily from the strange colors of 90s and early‑2000s cartoons, along with a love for the gross and grunge. Art Battle is something he’s wanted to join for a long time, and he’s excited for the chance to finally jump in and experience it.

Julia is a Chicago-based oil painter and mixed media artist. Her work explores emotion, contrast, and personal experience through bold color and texture, creating both fine art and wearable pieces. Rooted in the belief that beauty and pain can coexist, she uses art to connect with others and reflect on faith, resilience, and transformation. From hand-painted canvases to one-of-a-kind wearable designs, Julia’s creations are made to be felt, not just seen.

Nxvember is a 26-year-old artist who works in abstract, contemporary, and just about every style—painting whatever comes to heart or mind. The colors he chooses come straight from emotion. Encouraged by his brother Justin White for over a year, he’s finally ready to step into an Art Battle, bringing original artwork that captures feeling and imagination in every brushstroke.

Samantha is a multidisciplinary artist and full‑time live event and wedding painter whose work is inspired by the whimsical beauty of nature, the human spirit, and the energy of love stories. Her expressive style blends vibrant color, realism, and impressionistic brushwork. She began teaching painting classes at just fourteen and rediscovered her passion for creating in community while instructing at Painting With a Twist during college. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design with a degree in fibers, she also enjoys knitting in her free time.

TRAVIESA is a nationally selling artist, muralist, and Chicago street artist working in digital art, graffiti, and pop art. Born and raised in Chicago, art has always been who she is. Competing in Art Battle Chicago is a chance to feel that creative adrenaline again, reconnect with her roots, and create under pressure. Now a new art teacher, she’s excited to return to the stage, push her art, and share her passion with the community.