Born San Diego CA, 2000
Resides Lives and works in San Antonio TX
Austin Owens is a contemporary artist living and working in San Antonio, Texas. His multi-media paintings span from large scale canvases to repurposed objects that incorporate painting, drawing, and a restless tension between figuration and abstraction. Synthesizing influences from art history, politics, and popular culture, his works merge his subjects, chaotic gestures, and expressive color into unified compositions. Beginning with a series of automatic drawings made without intervention, Owens layers various mediums to bring forward the most important aspects of the image.
Owens’ practice draws from a diverse range of influences across artistic mediums. His works often recall the works of the Abstract Expressionists, from Willem de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, and Arshile Gorky, to renowned modernists such as Van Gogh, Bacon, and Rauschenberg. Fragments of imagery from film, television, and canonical artworks appear and disappear within forms often constructed with the aid of music being played in tandem.
Born in San Diego, California, Owens moved with his family to San Antonio, Texas at an early age. During his childhood his creativity and desire to make art were always encouraged, and by elementary school he began participating in local art competitions. In high school Owens had his focus on a career in animation before finding a stronger interest in graphic design and photography, which he explored for several years. During this time his practice ranged from street photography and studio shoots, to poster and clothing designs made for his collaborative startup company, Etrnl Creative. It was through these multiple explorations in creative expression that he eventually solidified his interest in painting, which in his eyes, allowed him an even greater freedom to explore conceptual works.
Recent solo and group exhibitions of Owens’ work include Austin Owens: O.S.D. The Beautiful Days, San Antonio (2026); Austin Owens: O.S.D. New Dawn Fades, San Antonio (2025); Austin Owens: O.S.D. Locomotion, San Antonio (2024); Bluestar First Friday, Southtown Art Gallery, San Antonio (2021). His works are represented in private collections.