Aaron Cowan

Aaron Cowan is a Visiting Assistant Professor and Sculpture Area Head at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), where he challenges traditional notions of masculinity and social expectations of men through sculpture, performance, installation, and fibers.

Education:

• BFA – University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, concentration in 3D Sculpture
• MFA – University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Research & Artistic Focus:

Cowan's interdisciplinary practice spans sculpture, performance, video, and textile-based installation, critically examining masculine identity, social norms, and consumerist culture. His work often incorporates found objects, vintage fabrics, and industrial materials to construct layered narratives around gender, labor, and emotional expression.

Recent projects explore themes of surveillance, idealized masculinity, and performative identity, utilizing collage, sculpture, and live performance to interrogate cultural constructs of manhood. His work is both materially rich and conceptually dense, often engaging with humor, irony, and vulnerability.

Scientific & Artistic Recognition:

• Bonnaroo Works Fund Grant
• Footprint Foundation Grant
• UnFoundation Grant

Exhibitions & Outreach:

Cowan has exhibited nationally and internationally, including in Los Angeles, Joshua Tree, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, South Dakota, Arkansas, South Korea, and China. He was also co-founder, director, and curator of the SWINE gallery and ARC Residency, and served as Art Coordinator for the Chattanooga Film Festival.