Michelle S. FILLMORE is a photorealistic painter based in the Bay Area. She grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, and graduated with a BA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2015.

Fillmore’s paintings are autobiographical metaphors. Having grown up with a family member that wrestled with mental illness, her work opens up a discussion about mental health and points out its inherent stigmas and challenges. She uses a tightly controlled photorealistic style at odds with the turbulent subject matter and its rich emotion. Fillmore also exhibits a mastery with oils by choosing a variety of textures to render in her work. Each painting is a celebration of a person’s ability to liberate themselves from their own prison, as well as the ability to change and transform.