Mike Egan

Mike Egan was born outside Pittsburgh, PA in 1977, a shy kid who found his voice through art by tracing cartoons, skateboard graphics, and album covers. He pursued fine arts at Edinboro University, focusing on printmaking and discovering influences like Jose Guadalupe Posada and German Expressionists. After graduation, he transitioned to painting when printmaking supplies weren’t available, though he admits his early work was “REALLY bad.” A brief stint with the airlines ended on September 11, 2001—his first day on the job—leading him to pursue funeral directing and embalmment work in Reading, PA.

The solitude of being on-call as an embalmer gave him time to develop his distinctive style, combining bold lines from his printmaking background with dark imagery influenced by traditional tattooing. After selling three paintings at his first gallery show in Pittsburgh in 2006, Egan began working with galleries and collectors worldwide, expanding into toys, posters, clothing, and ceramics while continuing to explore religious imagery, life and death themes, and his signature skeletons and devils.

Read Hyperlux Magazine With Mike Egan