Machaila Gray is a multi-disciplinary artist from Indianapolis, Indiana. She graduated from Herron School of Art+Design where she studied illustration and sculpture. Gray works primarily as a visual artist, specializing in mediums such as oil pastel, chalk, ink, and pencil. She aims to create visual narratives that are vibrant, detailed, and able to encompass various subjects in ways that aren’t entirely complicated. Gray’s sculptural works teeter on the symbolic and the literal, being assembled from natural and man-made objects, which is often dependent on what she feels will get the message across. She draws inspiration from artists such as Diego Rivera, Lorna Simpson, John Steptoe, and Betye Saar. Gray utilizes original(ish) characters, real-life observation, and bold visual design to bring a sense of magic to seemingly normal, if not mundane activities. She also puts emphasis on individual and collective power.