Melrick Steele: Points of Connection
Written by Nicole Misfitx
Published on April 27th, 2026
We live in a time of division. Major political upheavals, discourse about human rights, targeted attacks on communities, and constant detrimental efforts to divide people. In contrast, something has shone through across the country, including in Chicago, as people rally to protect their communities. Strangers become allies, and collective resistance persists.
Closing the distance between what divides people is the fundamental theme behind artist Melrick Steele’s work.
Closing the distance between what divides people is the fundamental theme behind artist Melrick Steele’s work. The self-taught multidisciplinary artist explores the heritage and history of his roots as a Black American and Afro-descendant cultures in a variety of mediums.
Steele grew up in Palos Hills, a Southwestern suburb of Chicago, and connected with artistic expression at a young age. “The first time I remember drawing, I got in trouble because I drew on the wall as a kid; I got punished for it,” Steele said. He didn’t have any mentors growing up; creating and drawing just came naturally to him. His family was his biggest inspiration, his first avid supporters, and continue to be.
Early influences for his creativity are 90s TV shows like Power Rangers, Arthur, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The colorful, vivid vibes came through in his own style. He began customizing his clothes in high school, especially Nike Air Force 1’s, and all his classmates wanted their own. That pushed him into the lane of fashion design, which he continues exploring. He stated, “I would use different fabrics. Mixed media is mainly what I do on the shoes, more so than canvas.”
Another form of art he connected with is tattooing. “I like doing portrait work and realism,” he said.
Another form of art he connected with is tattooing. “I like doing portrait work and realism,” he said. The realism aspect connects to his main passion for painting. “I like doing visual art more so because I’m in my own space. You don’t have to deal with pain tolerance. You can just actually finish a piece in peace. It takes longer, but you can come back to it the next day,” he said.
Being entirely self-taught, he only started to experiment with oil painting in the past year and loves integrating it into his work. This can be seen in his piece, The Quiet Radiance, which explores Albinism in Afro-descendant cultures. “When I do the abstract side of the face or the mask, I like using acrylic for it because it’s a two-dimensional look to it. And then once I add the facial features and objects, I like using the oil because it gives it a sense of realism,” he said.
The history, knowledge, and guidance his family instilled in him young, helped shape Steele’s identity and pursuits.
The history, knowledge, and guidance his family instilled in him young, helped shape Steele’s identity and pursuits. “As far as Afro roots, my family always told me stories or introduced me to history books. And in the schools that I was going to, it was predominantly Black, so we learned about Black history and Malcolm X, all the historians. On my own, getting older, I started doing research into Kwanzaa and things like that,” he said. His work reflects his lived experience as a Black man, shaped by African American roots and a deeper connection to the African diaspora. The ethos of Steele’s artwork is to “close the gap between real life and abstract.” He stated, “The abstract part is mainly the traditional Afrocentric things that you see, and then I take the real-life part into the Black American experience and mix the two together. Culture is sometimes misinterpreted or misrepresented, so my work celebrates the complexity in a good way.” His work is rooted in the subtle moments that make up life, “the quiet strength of everyday people, especially within the Black community,” he said. The visual stories depict moments people can feel personally and collectively.
It all ties back to the core inspiration in his life, family. Especially present with his son. As the custodial parent, his son is his world. It’s important to him to work his schedule around spending time with his son. Being able to pursue his artistic passions has given him that flexibility. “It’s not that I was dodging a nine-to-five. I figured I could make money off my creativity and still stay close and not miss time. Because a lot of people get wrapped up in a schedule and they miss time, priceless time with loved ones,” he said.
Steele and his son even collaborated on their first book, With All My Might, something he always dreamed of doing.
Steele and his son even collaborated on their first book, With All My Might, something he always dreamed of doing. The main character in the book is patterned after his son, as a superhero named Captain Mindright. This project was a way to instill concepts of togetherness and peace in younger audiences early on.
Steele’s education from his family and going to predominantly Black schools showed him books like the idea he wanted, but not extensively. “I saw more TV shows like that than books, so I figured I would create a superhero. Kids look up to superheroes, and they’ll listen to him, so he has more power to change it,” he said. However, most kids aren’t normally provided with media that pushes positive concepts and perspectives outside their own. “You’d be surprised that a lot of kids aren’t exposed to that in the world, regardless of background. So, it opens them up to be aware of issues other than just what they have going on,” he said. His hopes are that children learn not to judge, not be selfish, and show a foundation of what community is.
His exploration of Black history and culture is at the forefront of his current series in progress, Cultural Pioneers.
His exploration of Black history and culture is at the forefront of his current series in progress, Cultural Pioneers. The first painting he’s finished for it, Legacy at Bat, is meant to “celebrate the talent and courage of those who came before us,” he said. “Growing up, I played Little League, and our teams were named after Negro Leagues. I was on the Chicago American Giants. Those priceless times cemented memories that have stayed with me forever,” he said. “The Negro Leagues weren’t just about baseball; they were about resilience, skill, and breaking barriers in a time when opportunities were limited.” The painting features Steele’s signature mix of acrylic and oil, “It’s showing him one side in black and white, how it was on TV or in pictures. And I took my style and created cultural art on it in color,” he said. His intention is, “My work leans abstract, but there is always a human core in it, something recognizable that people can feel themselves in.” Cultural Pioneers is a series of paintings that Steele is continuing to work on, and you can follow along on his Instagram.
Steele stated that he feels that art as a whole “allows people to interpret other perspectives. I feel art brings communities together; it helps with social change. With my art, with culture being misinterpreted or misrepresented, it kind of celebrates it in a way to not judge.”
Nicole Misfitx is a writer and photographer passionate about documenting art, graffiti, and street art in Chicago. Her love of writing led her to receive a degree in Creative Writing and Journalism from schooling at Columbia College Chicago and SNHU. She then combined her love of documenting art, photography, and writing to showcase various art, artists, and important social topics. Her drive for writing is to give exposure to lesser-known artists and the overall street art and graffiti scene in Chicago. In addition, she enjoys nature, travel, movies, all things spooky, and fashion.