Gus Gaston is a mixed-media artist who grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They earned a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in December 2022. Following graduation, Gaston participated in an international exchange program in Cologne, Germany. Although the program concluded in July 2024, they returned shortly after and have continued living and working between the U.S. and Germany since.

During their academic studies, Gaston’s work centered on storytelling—drawing from personal narratives as well as the stories of family members and close friends. Their thesis project, My Birthday is Green, Yellow, and Purple, examined color-grapheme synesthesia and the deeply ingrained color associations they have experienced since childhood. Building from this foundation, Gaston’s current practice focuses on communication of nuanced, often dialectical emotions, with particular attention to themes of migration, readjustment, and rebuilding a sense of place. Their mixed-media practice spans drawing, painting, design, collage, woodworking, and murals.