McAlister Merchant

I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Took my first art classes at the age of 8 at the Art Institute of Chicago, attended the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana with forays into commercial art through correspondence school and, eventually Art Center College of Design as an Industrial Designer. After stints as product designer for camera, motorcycle, and various electronics firms, I spent time documenting computer programs for Microsoft, before I was able to return to art creation.

In my studio, I create sculptures in glass and clay, as well as drawings and paintings. Once again I’m teaching myself and learning from my friends.