Asend is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist and muralist whose work bridges classical fine art traditions with the visual energy of contemporary urban culture. With more than two decades of experience in fine art, public art, and large-scale mural production, his practice is deeply informed by Chicago’s 1990s graffiti movement and the dramatic composition, lighting, and storytelling of Baroque painting. Working across murals, oil painting, sculpture, and design, Asend has developed a distinctive visual language rooted in realism, color mastery, emotional narrative, and monumental scale. His work frequently explores themes of identity, resilience, community, memory, and human connection, transforming everyday architectural environments into immersive visual experiences.

Asend emerged from the city’s graffiti culture, where public walls became an early foundation for experimentation, discipline, and storytelling through image-making. Over time, his practice evolved into a sophisticated blend of urban art and classical painting traditions, combining photorealism, portraiture, typography, architectural space, and symbolic narratives into works that operate at both civic and emotional scales. His work reflects a studied balance between classical composition and contemporary street aesthetics, often emphasizing optimism, beauty, and human connection in public space.

Asend is widely recognized for monumental mural projects throughout Chicago and beyond, including “Love Always Wins,” a highly visible floral mural overlooking the Kennedy Expressway and widely cited among Chicago’s largest murals, viewed daily by hundreds of thousands of commuters. His portfolio spans commercial, civic, hospitality, and healthcare environments, with commissions for organizations and brands including the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bears, Lamborghini, Nike, Pepsi, Pandora, Motorola, Walmart, BET, Louis Vuitton, Target, the U.S. Department of State, and healthcare and nonprofit partners including the Perillo Foundation and Lurie Children’s Hospital. His work has also appeared internationally and in connection with cultural platforms such as Art Basel in Miami, ComplexCon, and projects in New York, Tahiti, Mongolia, and China.

Beyond commercial and public commissions, Asend’s practice is grounded in community engagement and the belief that art can meaningfully affect emotional well-being. Following his son’s hospitalization in 2017, he developed a deeper commitment to the role of art in healing environments, leading to collaborative efforts supporting arts initiatives with Lurie Children’s Hospital and the Perillo Foundation. This philosophy continues to inform much of his work, particularly projects designed to create moments of calm, inspiration, and belonging within public and shared spaces. His work has been featured across regional and national media including WTTW, PBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, the Chicago Tribune, and arts publications, and he was awarded the 2023 Individual Artist Grant by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE). He has also served as a judge panelist for the Chicago Architecture Biennial and received recognition through public art and mural competitions throughout Chicago.Collaborations

Aloft Hotel

BET

Brisk

Casting Hope

Chevy

Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)

The Chicago White Sox

The Chicago Bears

Complex Con

Conversant

Crossroad Partners

Hotel Chicago

Lamborghini

Life WTR

Louis Vuitton

Lurie Children’s Hospital

Next Level USA

Nike

Magellan

Major League Baseball (MLB)

Motorola

Pandora

Pepsi

Perillo Foundation

Shake Shack

Target

UPS

U.S. Department of State

Walmart