Michael Arata (b. 1955, San Francisco) lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. He received his BFA and MFA from San Jose State University and has taught painting, drawing and art history at Loyola Marymount University, East Los Angeles College, and West Los Angeles College, where he also served as gallery director and curator. His work has been exhibited widely in Los Angeles and internationally, including solo exhibitions in Brussels, Rio de Janeiro, Salamanca, and Tokyo, and has been reviewed in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Artillery, and Artweek, among others. He lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.