Michael Banks was born to a single mother in a housing project in northern Alabama. As a child, Michael loved to draw and paint on anything he could find. He demonstrated a strong artistic flair very early in his life.

His mother both encouraged him to make art and warned him of the difficulties of pursuing creative passions. When his mother died in 1992, Michael fell into a deep depression and gave up painting for a time. After five years, his grief lifted and he called on the hope and encouragement provided by his mother to inspire him once again.

The use of roofing tar as a base layer to his paintings gives Michael a surface on which to scratch his fanciful images before applying paint. He is a prolific painter, often working on multiple pieces in one session.

Michael’s work has been shown in galleries across the South as well as recent shows in New York City and Chicago.