bio

Nick Santos (Nicholas Santos Banuelos) is a California-based artist from Santa Paula whose large-scale murals, canvases, and digital works fuse community storytelling with striking visual experimentation. Living and working in Ventura, CA, Santos has developed a practice that bridges fine art, public art, and youth outreach, using creativity as both a personal outlet and a platform for connection.

  Santos’s work ranges from expansive murals for public and private spaces including commissions for music producers, corporate offices, and cultural institutions to intimate canvas portraits held in private collections across Los Angeles, Ojai, Beverly Hills, and beyond. His vibrant murals can be found across Southern California, from Santa Paula community projects to installations in Los Angeles often blending themes of cultural heritage, music, spirituality, and social resilience.

 Over the past decade, Santos has exhibited in solo, and group shows including the Santa Paula Art Museum, complexcon Las Vegas, and various Los Angeles group shows. His artistry has also extended into media and entertainment through digital and physical collaborations with r&b artist Chris Brown, Grammy winning writer Roccstar, Shavo Odadjian of System of a Down, rapper Caskey, and visual work for the television series Mayans.

   In addition to his studio and mural practice, Santos is deeply committed to youth engagement and charitable projects. He has led art-based outreach with organizations such as Project Hope, the Ventura County Office of Education, and Santa Paula youth programs, emphasizing creativity as a tool for empowerment and healing. His projects include fundraisers for the Salvation Army and corporate youth murals that reflect his belief that art should serve communities as much as collectors.

  Santos’s journey is marked by perseverance and dedication. His determination and vision have propelled him to create murals, paintings, and installations that now garner widespread recognition. Today, he is known for his bold murals, dynamic use of color, and ability to weave cultural storytelling into contemporary art spaces.