Michael Hambouz (b. Niles, MI, 1977) is a multidisciplinary artist, multi-instrumentalist musician, and independent curator based in Brooklyn, NY. Hambouz creates chromaesthesia-influenced works – channeling dimension and color from the guidance of music/audio – to process bouts of loss and reflections on life in the rural Midwest, pre- and post-September 2001 New York City, and in the cybersphere as a first-generation Palestinian-American. Experimenting freely with mediums, he encourages unexpected results and mutations in compositional form to bloom in the studio, resulting in conceptually abstracted paintings and prints, intricate layered paper cut outs, sculpture, drawings and animations.
C/V
AWARDS AND APPOINTMENTS
2026
Artist-in-Residence, The Sam & Adele Golden Foundation for the Arts, New Berlin, NY
Guest Juror, The Studios at MASS MoCA Residency Program, North Adams, MA
2025
New American Paintings, #176, curated by Laura Phipps, Associate Curator, Whitney Museum
White Columns’ Curated Artist Registry
2025
Fellow and Artist-in-Residence, The Studios at MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA
2023
Artist-in-Residence, The Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY
2022
Artist-in-Residence, The Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2026
Title TK, Kishka, White River Junction, VT
2024
Loves Cats, Hates Catastrophes, Elijah Wheat Showroom, Newburgh, New York, NY
2023
Hot Blooded: Michael Hambouz, curated by Will Hutnick, Wassaic Project/Troutbeck, Amenia, NY
That’s Allegorical Folks! (solo), curated by Ambre Kelly + Andrew Gori, Spring/Break, New York, NY
Dabblegänger, Neighbors, New York, NY
2019
Factory Made, 3S Artspace, Portsmouth, NH
2018
Drank the Water (survey 1999-2018), Herndon Gallery at Antioch College, Yellow Springs, OH
2016
Rock Paper Scissors, Kayrock, Brooklyn, NY
Factory Made, Krasl Art Center, St. Joseph, MI
Pretty in Pink, Calico Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2014
Factory Made, Durst Organization and chashama, 1133 Ave of Americas, New York, NY
TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2025
Michael Hambouz + Ali El-Chaer, Gazala Projects, Gettysburg, OH
2024
Solidarity as Resistance: Michael Hambouz + Jen White-Johnson, Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, PA
2020
Michael Hambouz & Talia Levitt, presented by Lauren Powell Projects, Future Fair, New York, NY
2013
Collaborative Culture: Michael Hambouz and Michael O'Shea, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY
SELECT GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
Works on Paper, Palladium/Athena Project Space, Brooklyn, NY
Visual Cache, curated by Eri King, Field of Play, Brooklyn, NY
Cartography, curated by Mona Gazala, Urban Arts Space at Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Radio On, curated by Kate McQuillen, Prints of Darkness, LIC, NY
Summer Show, Nhà Mình, Ridgewood, NY
Fresh Takes, 3S Artspace, Portsmouth, NH
2024
Trove, Deanna Evans Project
Rhythm Changes, 5-50, LIC, NY
Superfund, Neighbors, Brooklyn, NY
In the Lee, Stumpy’s, Montauk, NY
2023
I Was Only Dreaming, Club Rhubarb, New York, NY
Friends of Neighbors, Neighbors, New York, NY
2022
A Tournament of Lies, Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY
The Patriot, O’Flaherty’s, New York, NY
2021
Country Come to Town, curated by Courtney Childress, Standard Space, Sharon, CT
Apparitions, Paradice Palase, Brooklyn, NY
Paper Cuts, Loft Projects, Chappaqua, NY
Moved Still Lives, curated by Lauren Powell, 961 Chung King Road, Los Angeles, CA
Cave Canem, curated by Lauren Powell, Eve Leibe Gallery, London, UK
2020
Works on Paper, Lauren Powell Presents, Brooklyn, NY
E-Motionø Support Group, curated by Lauren Powell, Art of This World, Brooklyn, NY
GIFC, The Hole, New York, NY
Plate Party 2020, Boehm Gallery, San Marcos, CA
2019
Pulled in Brooklyn, International Print Center New York, New York, NY
Pat Berran, Michael Hambouz, and Erik Otto, Kinfolk, Brooklyn, NY
Mediums II, Lorimoto, Ridgewood, NY
Inland Beach Ball, Northern-Southern, Austin, TX
(Cut)3 x (Paste)3: Insa Al-soqi, Michael Hambouz, Amanda Mathis, Lorimoto, Ridgewood, NY
Big Ringer, curated by Andrew Guenther, Andrew Edlin Gallery, New York, NY
2018
Under Construction, Booklyn, Brooklyn, NY
Picnic, curated by Aimee Lusty, Calico Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2017
The Likes of Us, curated by Maya Hayuk and Alethia Weingarten, Growroom//Showroom, Brooklyn, NY
Hot Off the Presses, The National Arts Club, New York, NY
Control Within Chaos, The Centre for Contemporary Printmaking, Bangor, N. Ireland
2016
Mackin Projects Art Bar, Site 57, New York, NY
2015
Just Friends, M. Carter, Brooklyn, NY
2014
Over the Edge: Paperworks Unbound, Williamsburg Art & Historical Center, Brooklyn, NY
ART FAIRS
2025
Umbrella Art Fair, presented by Laila Jadallah / Art West Asia Projects, Washington, DC
Arrival Arts Fair, presented by Wassaic Project, North Adams, MA
2023
Future Fair, presented by Paradice Palase, New York, NY
2020
What was Said to the Rose, curated by Molly Surno/Dominique Gallery, Other Places Art Fair, LA, CA
2017
Market Art + Design, The Bridgehampton Museum, Bridgehampton, NY
2016
E/AB Fair 2016, presented by Kayrock, New York, NY
BENEFITS
2025
ArteEast 22nd Anniversary Benefit Art Auction on Artsy
Eat It: A SNAP Benefit, Parent Company, New York, NY
Publicolor’s Stir, Splatter + Roll Benefit Art Auction and live painting Team Leader, New York, NY
Winter Wonderland, Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NY
Gaza Relief Show & Art Auction organized by Rachid Bouhamidi, LAST Projects, Los Angeles, CA
Generations: Alumni Benefit Exhibition, Antioch College, Yellow Springs, OH
2024
ArteEast 21st Anniversary Benefit Art Auction on Artsy
Publicolor’s Stir, Splatter + Roll Benefit Art Auction and live painting Team Leader, New York, NY
2023
Buy What You Love, presented by the Rema Hort Mann Foundation, Ruttkowski;68 Gallery, New York, NY
Publicolor’s Stir, Splatter + Roll Benefit Art Auction and live painting Team Leader, New York, NY
2022
Rema Hort Mann Foundation 25th Anniversary Gala and Art Auction, New York, NY
Publicolor’s Stir, Splatter + Roll Benefit Art Auction and live painting Team Leader, New York, NY
2021
BAM Art Auction Benefit, Brooklyn, NY
Publicolor’s Stir, Splatter + Roll Benefit Art Auction and live painting Team Leader, New York, NY
2020
Food Bank For NYC: Emergency Benefit Auction, curated by Doron Langberg,Yossi Milo Gallery, NYC
Publicolor’s Stir, Splatter + Roll Benefit Art Auction, New York, NY
2019
Publicolor’s Stir, Splatter + Roll Benefit Art Auction
2018
Brooklyn Arts Council's AccessArt Benefit, Brooklyn, NY
BAM Art Auction Benefit, Pioneer Works, Brooklyn, NY
2017
Vive Art Benefit, Honey Ramka, Brooklyn, NY
2016
Brooklyn Arts Council's 50th Anniversary AccessArt Benefit, Brooklyn, NY
BAM Art Auction Benefit, Bridget Donahue Gallery, New York, NY
2015
BAM Art Auction Benefit, Cheim & Read, New York, NY
Visual AIDS’ Postcards from the Edge, Luhring Augustine, New York, NY
CURATORIAL
2019
Mediums II: Margot Bird, Milton Carter, Michael Hambouz, Maya Hayuk, Hank Hivnor, Kelly Medford, John Orth, Mike Paré, Rebecca Reeve, Lorimoto Gallery, Ridgewood, NY
2015
Mediums: Chrissy Angliker, Christina Carrozza, Chantel Foretich, David Melrose, Sara Marie Miller, Markus Weaver, Ebru Yildiz + Mitchell King, Calico Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2013- current
FOD Project: annual collaborative artist drawing tribute project, international
PUBLIC COMMISSIONS / COLLECTIONS
Antioch College, Comunilife Woodhull Residence, Fidelity Corporate Collection, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Niles History Center, NYU Langone Medical Center
EDUCATION
1999 Antioch College, BA Painting and Sculpture; Minor: Video
PROFESSIONAL WORK IN THE ARTS
2016- 24 Mural Assistant, Maya Hayuk Studio
PRESS / PUBLICATIONS / FEATURES
2025
NEW AMERICAN PAINTINGS, Northeast, Issue #176, curated by Laura Phipps, Associate Curator, Whitney Museum
ORIGIN OF THE STICK FIGURE, composed by Eliot Greenwald, Junior Publishing (2025 release, Harper’s Books)
CREATE! MAGAZINE, Issue #53, curated by Emily McElwreath, Founder, McElwreath Art Advisory (Fall 2025)
MATTER NEWS, “Michael Hambouz and Ali El-Chaer strike a balance in Gazala Projects exhibition”, Andy Downing (Nov 2025)
URBAN ARTS SPACE AT OSU, "How Artist Michael Hambouz Uses Music to Form Dimension and Color", Andrew Wong (Aug 2025)
2024
HYPERALLERGIC, “10 Exhibitions to See in Upstate New York This April”, Thomas, Taliesin (Mar 2024)
THE NEW YORK TIMES, “On the Lower East Side, a Secret Space, a Mini-Biennial”, Smith, Roberta (Jan 2024)
ARTNET NEWS, “Remembrance, Loss, and Rhubarb at Gallerist Tony Cox’s New…”, Van Meter, William (Jan 2024)
2023
TWO COATS OF PAINT, “Selected Paintings from SPRING/BREAK NYC 2023”, Sanders, F. & Szantyr, B. (Sep 2023)
ARTNET NEWS, “A Trip to Spring Break Art Show…”, Cascone, Sarah (Sep 2023)
ARTEEAST, “Artist Spotlight with Michael Hambouz”, Nazemian, Lila (Apr 2023)
DESIGN MILK, “F5: Michael Hambouz Feeds Creativity with Creativity”, Beall, Kelly (Mar 2023)
2022
ARTSIN SQUARE MAGAZINE, Issue 2
2021
ARTNET NEWS, “Art Industry News: Limited Edition Peace for Palestine Benefit T-Shirt Sells Out” (Jun 2021)
WHITEHOT MAGAZINE, “Moved Still Lives Group Show in Chinatown, Los Angeles” (Jul 2021)
2020
ARTIST PORTRAITS VOL I: 2015-2020, Ryazansky, Maxim. (2020)
BYRON ARTS MAGAZINE (Australia), Issue 17 (Sep 2020)
QUARANZINE, Issue 3, Lost Retainer Collective (Aug 2020)
ARTNET NEWS, “Editors’ Picks: 9 Events for Your Virtual Art Calendar This Week”, Cascone, Sarah. (Jun 2020)
2019
ARTNET NEWS, “Can a Session with a Medium Spark Creativity?”, Cascone, Sarah. (Oct 2019)
ARTNET NEWS, “Editors’ Picks: 16 Things Not to Miss in NY’s Art World This Week”, Cascone, Sarah. (Feb 2019)
2018
ARTNET NEWS, "Editors’ Picks: 11 Things to See in New York This Week", Cascone, Sarah. (Jan 2018)
STREET ART NEWS, “Closing Party: “THE LIKES OF US”, Eller, Matthew. (Jan 2018)
2017
PICNIC, "Picnic #15: Michael Hambouz", Lusty, Aimee. (Dec 2017)
CREATE! MAGAZINE, "Multi-Dimensional Perspectives: Interview with M. Hambouz", Popova, Ekaterina. (Nov 2017)
ARTNET NEWS, "Editors’ Picks: 10 Things to See in New York This Week", Cascone, Sarah. (May 2017)
2016
DESIGN MILK, "Rock, Paper, Scissors: An Evolution in Work by Michael Hambouz", Wong, Nanette. (Dec 2016)
ARTNET NEWS, "‘F.O.D.’ Artists Honor Celebrities Lost in 2016", Cascone, Sarah. (Dec 2016)
2015
ARTNET NEWS, "Artists Who Died in 2015 Get Immortalized in 'F.O.D.' Art Project", Cascone, Sarah. (Dec 2015)
HYPERALLERGIC, “Artists Visit a Spiritual Medium and Make Work About It”, Meier, Allison. (Mar 2015)
2014
DESIGN MILK, "Factory Made: Abstract Scenes Made from Hand-Cut Paper", Williamson, Caroline. (Oct 2014).
SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE, “Raised in Niles, NY artist honors his mother and his roots”, Bagley, Landa. (Oct 2014).
INHABITAT NYC, “...‘Factory Made’ Collages Illustrate the Colorful Papermaking Process”, Jewell, Nicole. (Sep 2014).
VICE, “Illustrators Pay Tribute to Robin Williams”, Gazin, Nick. (Aug 2014).