Aort Reed (Augusta, Georgia) is a local muralist and contemporary visual fine artist. His parents- Anna Phimsoutham, a native of Bangkok, Thailand, and Oscar Reed, a native of Augusta, Georgia cultivated an interesting ecosystem throughout his childhood. As a child, Aort’s imagination ran wild. Any surface that he could find automatically became his canvas. Whether it was blank pages at the beginning of a book, his grandmother’s recipes, or even the walls of his closet, he made sure that he expressed what was in his mind’s eye.

After grade school, Aort attended three different colleges but ended up earning his BFA in painting and drawing at Augusta State University (AU). During the early years of his creative credibility, Aort’s work was selected for two juried art exhibitions, one in 2012 and another in 2014. This also marked the time period his work began to take off conceptually. As a result, his artwork became published in magazines, online platforms, and news articles nationally, and continues to be featured today. For example, multiple large-scale local mural works (including Westobou, Georgia Cyber Center & Jackie M’s & Son Restaurant) have recently been shown in the 2020 Augusta Visitors Bureau Experience Guide, The Augusta Chronicle as well as on news channel 12 WRDW-TV & FOX 54 WFXG.

Today, Aort expresses that inspiration comes from multiple sources; “I could name multiple artists from throughout the history of Fine Art, but I think that would be too typical. Outside of artists, what really drives me the most is empiricism, emotions, and communication. All three sort of create somewhat of a diary or pictorial journal of the journey.”