Rubén Aguirre is an American painter whose work engages architecture and public space to cultivate a stronger connection between people and place. His practice reframes how urban environments are perceived and navigated, shaping how spaces feel and are experienced over time, playing with ideas of permanence and ephemerality. Rooted in graffiti and abstraction, Aguirre’s use of color and form draws from the built environment, landscape, history, and typography. His work balances calculated lines with gestural mark making to create a sophisticated signature composition with a clean aesthetic, often with symbolic references to the past. Every public work is developed in direct response to the location which it inhabits, allowing it to live in dialogue with surrounding architectural elements while contributing rhythm and narrative. His catalogue ranges from large scale public commissions to gallery exhibitions that include 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. Aguirre’s work has been featured in publications such as ArtNews and The Atlantic, and in 2026 will serve as a cultural ambassador between the United States and Qatar.

Clients and partnerships include: City of Chicago, Audi, Google, Adidas, LinkedIn, Starbucks, Pepsi, Sterling Bay, Gensler, R2, Equinox, Bon Appetit, REI, Northwestern University, BMO Harris, and Willis Tower among other civic and corporate partners.