Michelle Jackson is a visual artist living in Portland, Oregon, and a BFA candidate in Art Practices at Portland State University. She identifies as fat, queer, and neurospicy. Her work focuses on representing fat, queer, and neurodivergent people through bold, figurative imagery that centers themes of fat liberation, LGBTQIA+ identity, mental health, and everyday joy.

Michelle works across multiple media, including oil, acrylic, and watercolor painting—with a special love for oil paint. Recently, she has expanded her practice to include textiles, incorporating techniques like needle felting, weaving, and needlepoint.

Her large-scale, brightly colored pieces challenge the limited and often harmful ways fatness is portrayed in public and media spaces. In contrast to narratives of fat shaming, diet culture, and weight loss obsession, Michelle’s work presents fat bodies with intimacy, tenderness, and playfulness. She creates images that take up space—both visually and emotionally—with the goal of offering representation that feels real, joyful, and affirming.

She believes that seeing people like yourself in art—without judgment or stereotype—can be powerful. Through her practice, she aims to create space for marginalized identities and share stories that are too often overlooked.