About

Alex Bowman is an Oakland-based painter, illustrator and muralist whose figurative, colorful paintings mirror the diversity and vibrance of her community. Through her use of digital, acrylic, oil and sculptural elements, she uses scale and linework to depict both real and imagined compositions of togetherness. Bowman’s practice focuses on ways to celebrate visibility and a myriad of racial, cultural and gender identities through visual storytelling. The theme of representation is at the cornerstone of her work, where she holds space for herself and her viewers to be seen. She also believes public art and illustration can be used as a tool to educate others about important environmental and social topics that promote a brighter, more inclusive future..

Alexandra Bowman studied at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) with a focus in art history and printmaking. She graduated with a BFA in 2013 and started work as a research assistant in The Art Institute of Chicago’s Department of Prints and Drawings (2013). Alexandra has illustrated several books including: Well Read Black Girl (2018), Little People Big Dreams: Wilma Mankiller (2022), and Bay Curious (2023). Her work has been published in numerous journals such as: Smithsonian, The New York Times, and The National Institute of Reproductive Health (NIRH). She has recently created murals for Patagonia (San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Palo Alto, CA, 2020), Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA, 2022), and The Barbican Museum (London, UK, 2021). She was a FB Artist in Residence in 2018 and again in 2019 and often works as a teaching artist at Berkeley High (Berkeley, CA), Safe Place for Youth (Los Angeles, CA), Publicolor (New York, NY), and Opportunities for All (San Francisco, CA).