Mike O’Brien is a painter and printmaker who blends the vibrant colors and whimsy of 90’s cartoons with the bold lines of American traditional tattoos, creating characters and compositions that capture human imperfection and charm.

Cartoons, with their childlike innocence, may seem in sharp contrast to the adult world of tattoo culture, yet both share similarities. Both cartoons and tattoos emphasize bold colors and thick, confident lines. Like cartoons, which feature hidden jokes for adults, traditional tattooing distills complex ideas into a limited library of symbols that carry deep meaning for those who understand them but retain broad visual appeal.

Mike O aims to create art for all ages and backgrounds, drawing skulls that aren’t frightening and friendly monsters to evoke the same warmth they felt as a child watching cartoons with family. This intergenerational connection at the heart of their practice bridges the gap between hardcore adults and their inner children.

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.

Mike O’Brien began practicing art in Washington DC in the 2010s, screenprinting posters for punk bands and wheatpasting them around the city. Over those years, Mike developed an instantly recognizable hand-drawn line and lettering style. His latest paintings and prints explore characters, symbols, and compositions inspired equally by the cartoons of his childhood and the tattoos of his adulthood. His work has been featured in exhibitions by Touchstone, Transformer, Strathmore, Washington Studio School, Umbrella Art Fair, Thundershark Gallery, Rhizome, Homme, Dwightmess, the Fridge, and the DC Lowbrow Invitational.