Ajmal 'Mas Man' Millar  

AJMAL MAS MAN MILLAR

b. Brooklyn, NY 1986

Masmanart.com

@MASMANART 

EDUCATION 

*School of the Art Institute of Chicago

August 2019- May 2021

Graduated with an MFA Painting and Drawing 

*Morehouse College 

August 2004-May 2008

Graduated with a BA in English 

*The Art Students League of New York

September 2012- January 2013

Attended classes for mixed media painting and collage with mARTha Bloom

ART INSTITUTION WORK

*Guest Relations at The HIGH Museum of Art-November 2018

Working as an attendant for Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors exhibit 

*Exhibition facilitator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art- August-December 2012

Facilitated and oversaw the acceptance and enforcement of guidelines for navigating the roof top structure Cloud City

*Intern at The High Museum of Art- June-September 2003

Assisted in facilitating summer programming for youth through the 

Arthur Blank Family Fellowship Program

CARINIVAL DESIGN/FREELANCE WORK

*Mas Man (Costume designer and creative director)                                        

2012-Present

Developed narratives and created carnival costumes for Calabash Alley Masqueraders: 

The Theater of the Streets presentation for the Atlanta Caribbean Carnival

BIRDS OF A FEATHER- 2025

INTERGALACTIC-2019

PLANET ROCK-2018

A Breathe of Fresh Air- 2017

FYAH!- 2016

H2O: The Key of Life- 2015

Out of this World- 2014

CELEBRATION- 2013

Mirror, Mirror- 2012

*Freelance Costume Design - February 2015                               

Displayed costumes and performed in New Orleans Mardi Gras parade 

*Freelance Costume Design- August 2013 - July 2014

Created masquerade headpieces and masks for season 1 & 2 CW’s The Originals

HONORS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND DISTINCTIONS

*Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art Fellowship

2021-2022 Recipient 

*Dean’s Merit Scholarship and New Artist Society Scholarship

School of The Art Institute of Chicago

Aug 2019- May 2021

*Project Uplift Scholarship

Kappa Alpha Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

Aug 2004- May 2008 

TEACHING

*Art Teacher- 2024 to present

Miller Grove Middle School

*Part time Art Professor- Fall 2025

Georgia State University- Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design

*Art Instructor- 2022 to 2024

AbraKadoodle 

*Teaching Assistant- Aug 2019 to May 2021

Assisted in Large Format Drawing, Collage, & Spiritual in Art

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

*SOLO (self-produced) art show- December 12, 2025

MASCRADE: The Archive of Unveiling at Calabash Alley Caribbean Restaurant

Decatur, GA

*SOLO art show- June 30-July 30, 2023

COCKPIT at FLXST CONTEMPORARY

Chicago, IL

*SOLO art show- June 03-July 02, 2022

TOMORROW BELONGS TO GOD at 65GRAND

Chicago, IL

*SOLO (self-produced) art show- July 2019

PROTAGONIST art show at Murmur Gallery

Atlanta, GA

*SOLO (self-produced) art show- November 17, 2017

JAB JAB art show at JavaVino Café

Atlanta, GA

*SOLO art show - April 28, 2017 

Painted Bodies and Pholourie art show at Calabash Alley Caribbean Restaurant

Decatur, GA

RESIDENCIES 

*Artist residency-July 13-22, 2023

Walking in Luminous Blackness: A Laboratory for Black Experimental Performance

*Artist residency- December 5-18, 2017

Disguises Welcomed Here group residency at Eyedrum Art Gallery

SELECTED TWO PERSON and GROUP EXHIBITIONS

*Exhibitor- October- December 2025

Featured in Mayor’s Pride Art Exhibition at Atlanta City Hall

*Exhibitor- July-September 2025

Featured in MUSKEG Curated by Jabob Rhodes + Jessica Hargreaves of Mother-in-law Gallery & Field Projects- Germantown, NY

*Exhibitor- October 1, 2023

Featured in AMFM Presents: A Soliloquy of Sound- Southside Visual and Performance Activation

*Exhibitor- May-October 2023

Featured in Arts in Foggy Bottom Outdoor Sculptural Biennial

*Exhibitor- December 2022- March 2023

Featured in Hyde Park Biennial: GROUND FLOOR exhibit (CHI)

*Exhibitor- October-November 2022

Featured in WE FANCY at Art Students’ League of New York

*Exhibitor- July-Sept 2022

Featured in …of the land: acts of refusal and ratification along with Lola Ayisha Ogbara & R. Treshawn Williamson at Southside Community Arts Center

*Exhibitor- July-Sept 2022

Featured in EDGING group exhibit presented by FLXST CONTEMPORARY in Chicago

*Exhibitor-Dec 2021

Featured in Good Company presented by the Monira Foundation at MANA Contemporary

*Exhibitor-Aug-Sept 2021

Featured in Tomorrow 2021 by White Cube Gallery in London

*Exhibitor- Aug 2021

Featured in TODAYNOW Group show at Silent Funny (Chicago)

*Exhibitor-May 2021

Featured in SAIC MFA Grad Thesis Exhibition

*Exhibitor- Feb-March 2021

Featured in Against Impossibility at FLXST Contemporary (Chicago)

*Exhibitor- Nov 2020

Featured in WeThePeopleArtshow.com (NYC and online)

*Exhibitor- June 2020

Featured in THE SUBURBAN’s 2020 Exhibitions: PROJECTS (online)

*Exhibitor- November 2019

Performed ORI: THE PLACE WHERE YOU ARE during the 13th Annual New BLOOD Festival held at

Links Hall in Chicago

*Muralist- August 2019

Participated as a muralist working with Living Walls Atlanta and The Atlanta Beltline to create the mural ‘THE TRANSFORMATION TUNNEL’ aka WE ARE ALL THRIVING WITH HIV

*MAS-February 2019

Performed ‘Cook-Up ‘at Black Lives Matter Global Pop Up in Atlanta

*MAS/Exhibitor- January 2019

Performed and exhibited as an art installation called ‘NOW IS THE TIME’ 

at the Bakery Atlanta

*Exhibitor-January 2019

Exhibited several mixed media paintings and sculpture in Deeper Than, a group art show at Hapeville Makers Space

*MAS- December 2018

Performed Kakilambe at First African Church

*Exhibitor- December 2018

Exhibited ‘Representing Race’, ‘The Magician’, and ‘The Hierophant’ in the ART BEAT MIAMI group art show during Art Basil

*Exhibitor- December 2018

Exhibited a series of small mixed media paintings called SAFE SEX MATTERS NOW! during the ANNUAL POSTCARD SHOW at MINT Gallery

*Exhibitor-November 2018

Exhibited ‘Seeds of Hope’ sculpture in SMALL WORKS juried exhibition at The Real Milk Studios

*Exhibitor- October 2018

Exhibited sculpture and exhibited/performed THE SKY FATHER during Abstract Mindstate at FUTURE DEAD Artist Gallery

*Exhibitor/Panelist- October 2018

Exhibited three JAB-JAB paintings in SHOOK and participated in a discussion about the 

‘New Black Goth Image’ in music, comic books and cinema at the Auburn Avenue Research Library during the A3c Festival

*Exhibitor-September 2018

Exhibited paintings and sculptures at Atlanta’s Streets Alive in collaboration with MINT Gallery

*Exhibitor- August 2018

Exhibited paintings and sculptures in the LARGER THAN LIFE group art show

*MAS- May 2018

Performed ‘My People’ and ‘Earthy Magician’ at Kibbee Art Gallery

*MAS- April 2018

Performed ‘Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?’ at Apache café

*MAS- March 2018

Performed ‘Beasts of No Nation’ at BELA!: burlesque noir at Apache Café

*MAS- March 2018

Provided costuming for a performance at Surround: an Immersive Experience at 

University of Georgia School of Music

*Exhibitor- December 2017

Exhibited ‘The Best Ways to Love You Come From the Universe’ in the ART BEAT MIAMI 

group art show during Art Basil

*Exhibitor- November 2017

Exhibited ‘Ochosi’ a carnival costume installation for Xfinity group art show at City of Ink Gallery 

*MAS- October 2017 

Performed ‘FREE SPEECH’ at the Bakery Birthday Bash

*Exhibitor- February 2017

Exhibited ‘Gather Peace (Djembe’)’ in the American Religion group art show

*Exhibitor- February 2017

Exhibited ‘Timely Arrival’ in the Celebration of Life art show at City of Ink’s Tenth Anniversary

*Exhibitor- January 2017

Exhibited ‘Never Blend In’ at the FOCUS group art show at City of Ink Gallery

*MAS- November 2016

Performed ‘Keep on Moving’ at the Opening Ceremony of the US tour of 

‘The Things that we Treasure’ exhibit at the SGI Atlanta Buddhist Center

*MAS- October 2016

Provided costumes and performed with musical performer Rahbi for AFROPUNK Festival

*Exhibitor- July 2016

Exhibited ‘Protect the King’ in the group art show, CURSE WORDS at Apache Café 

*MAS- July 2016

Performed ‘WE ARE ONE’ at Elevate Atlanta hosted the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affair

*MAS- May 2016

Performed ‘AKUA’ at Soul Spin’s Tropisol: An Afro Latin Dance Party 

*Exhibitor- February 2016

Exhibited ‘Brought to Fruition’ in the Atlanta Renaissance

group art show at City of Ink Gallery

*MAS- February 2016

Performed ‘CHEERS to LIFE’ at the Soul Spin’s Mardi Gras on Edgewood

*Exhibitor- December 2015

Exhibited the mixed media painting ‘Dear Youth,’ at the Jump On It! Group art show at Apache’ Café

*Exhibitor- December 2015

Exhibited artwork at NOW or Neverland Art Show during Art Basil

*Exhibitor- December 2015

Exhibited artwork at ART BEAT MIAMI during Art Basil

*MAS- October 2015

Performed ‘Day of Freak’ at HEDONISM: Dia en el Monstrua Erotic Art show

*MAS- September 2015

Performed Kakilambe at First African Church

*Exhibitor- September 2015 

Exhibited at Bloom The Flag Fete Marketplace in Manhattan, NY

*Exhibitor- August 2015 

Performed ‘That which we Call a Rose’ in the Othella Group Art Show

*MAS- August 2015

Performed ‘MAS MAN and the EROTIC ANIMALS’ at THE EROTIC CIRCUS art show

*Exhibitor- June 2015 

Exhibited ‘When one door closes, another opens’, displayed MAS, and performed  

‘The Mounting of Yemeya’

*Exhibitor- June 2015 

Exhibited paintings and MAS (costumes) at ART SWIM: volume 1 Group art show

*Exhibitor- May 2015

Exhibited at Bloom Salon Marketplace in Manhattan, NY

*Exhibitor- April 2015

Participated and displayed erotic costumes at Hedonism Erotic Art show

*Exhibitor- March-April 2015

Participated in a group show at the Apache Cafe called "Purple." 

Displayed a mixed media painting entitled "School Lunch." 

*Exhibitor- February-March 2015

Participated in a group show at the Apache Cafe for Black History month called "DA Corporation." 

Displayed a piece entitled "When the Trumpet Blows.”

*Exhibitor- February 2015

Displayed and sold artwork at the February RAW art show, "PRESENT" 

*Exhibitor- November 2014

Displayed paintings at KIPP South Fulton Academy for their 12th Annual Parent Appreciation breakfast

*Exhibitor- Jul-Aug 2014

Displayed paintings at various community art events held by TUC magazine

* Freelance Costume Designer- February 2014

Created Mardi Gras headdresses and goddess crowns for CW’s The Originals

*Freelance Costume Designer- August 2013

Created masquerade headpieces and masks for CW’s The Originals (episode 103)

*Exhibitor- November 2012

Displayed the painting, When You Plant a Seed at DBGM Art Exhibit in Harlem, NY

VISITING ARTIST, JUROR, AND PUBLIC LECTURE POSITIONS AND EVENTS

*Visiting professor -Oct 2021

Critiqued painting and drawing classes at Milwaukee Art Institute

*Fundraiser- Sept 2020

THE MAS CAMP: VIRTUAL GALA to help save Black Trans Lives 

*Panelist- March 2019

Participated in and exhibited art during CANVAS, a discussion about Art, HIV, and the Black Queer and Trans community presented by The Counter Narrative Project

*Panelist- December 2018

Participated in Seen/Unseen: Queer Artists of Color, Visibility & Self in Atlanta, a panel discussion at Spelman College Museum of Fine Art hosted by Johnnie Ray Kornegay III

CURATORIAL PROJECTS

*Curator/Exhibitor- June 2017

Organized the group art show PRIZMATIC and exhibited the mixed media painting 

‘Life is Picking Flowers’

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS, PRESS, FEATURES, INTERVIEWS, AND REVIEWS 

*Collaboration- Feb 2022

Featured as the GLACEAU vitamin water LGBTQ+ artist of the month

*Published-Feb 2022

Work selected by editor Steven Zevitas for New American Paintings Magazine #155

*Interviewee- March 2019

Interviewed with Yale School of Art for the Graduate Painting and Printmaking program

*Interviewee- February 2019

Interviewed with School of the Arts Institute of Chicago for Graduate Painting and Drawing program and 

Performance Art Program

*Illustrator-June 2018

Designed the cover art for a poetry book called A Flower Left to Wilt