Rubén Aguirre (b. 1979, Chicago, IL) is an American painter whose work examines the relationship between public space, infrastructure, and visual communication. His practice seeks to reframe how urban environments are perceived and navigated, using abstraction to cultivate new connections between people and place. Aguirre has created murals throughout Chicago, across the United States, and internationally.

His work operates at the intersection of graffiti, abstraction, formalism, and muralism. Initially driven by the language and movement of graffiti writing, his current approach draws on architecture, landscape, and typography to explore the relationship between color, form, and geographical context. Aguirre’s projects range from large-scale public commissions to gallery exhibitions, including the National Museum of Mexican Art, the Chicago Cultural Center, and the Trout Museum of Art. In 2022, he received the Helen and Tim Meier Foundation Achievement Award in recognition of his contributions to contemporary public art, and in 2026, will serve as a cultural ambassador between the United States and Qatar.

Aguirre’s work has been featured in publications such as ArtNews and The Atlantic. His public commissions include projects for the City of Chicago, Google, Adidas, LinkedIn, Starbucks, among other civic and corporate partners.