Michele Banks’ Forces of Nature series explores the invisible forces that shape our world, from atomic motion to the curvature of space. Inspired by physics, biology, and neuroscience, these ink-on-Yupo paintings combine scientific concepts with an organic aesthetic that highlights the fluidity of ink and the artist’s hand.

Geometric forms and expressive splashes bring warmth to abstract scientific ideas, while neuroscience-inspired works layer brain imagery and fragmented text to explore thought, memory, and perception. Together, the paintings celebrate the intersection of science, human cognition, and creative expression.

50 for 50 is an artist opportunity that invites 50 community artists to showcase their work at Touchstone throughout 2026, the year of Touchstone’s 50th anniversary.

Michele Banks is a Washington, DC-based painter inspired by science. Her artwork, on themes ranging from neuroscience to the microbiome to climate change, been shown at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and at the American Society for Microbiology, as well as at many galleries and art festivals. Her paintings have been featured on the covers of journals and books and in publications including Scientific American, The Scientist and Wired. She has collaborated with scientists as an artist in residence at the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station in Finland and at the Institut Jacques Monod in Paris.