New B.O.R.N | Aaron Porter

Welcome Gallery

Aaron Porter, an Akron-based artist whose primary medium is acrylic mixed-media painting, is known for vibrant colors and bright, expressive themes, including the black experience, intersectionality, double consciousness, and mental health. He ingrains spiritual, pan-African joy in the artwork. His paintings are influenced by the work of fellow artists such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Aaron Douglas, Lois Mailou Jones, and African tribal art. Aaron specializes in a mix of illustration and acrylic painting styles, which he dubbed NEW B.O.R.N, featuring heavy expression, imagery, and linework.

Porter is currently pursuing a BFA in Studio Art with a Concentration in Print Media and Photography at Kent State University, which is a hub for Pan-African studies, using the skills he learned in printmaking and the knowledge from the African diaspora to further his work and expand his NEW B.O.R.N art style into his different mediums of art. He is a member of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., Theta Chi chapter, and part of several organizations at Kent State University, including Black United Students (B.U.S.), and Black Art United Students (B.A.U.S). Porter specializes in illustration, publishing, and graphic novels, including LEGEND.

New B.O.R.N consists of artworks from Kent State University student, Aaron Porter. In this exhibition, visitors will see the world through Porter’s eyes showcasing colorful, graphic compositions created using acrylic paint, acrylic markers, and conceptual imagery. Reflecting the cultural and societal realities in the world which he navigates, he invites viewers to immerse themselves in his thought-provoking, colorful narratives.