Meet the Mixed Media Show Judge!
Ameen Taahir is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, whose visual practice utilizes bright color palettes, bold symbolism, and deep emotional resonance. While his creative footprint spans music and digital media, he is primarily a painter whose canvases serve as a space for vulnerable storytelling. Focusing largely on portraiture, his subjects are usually himself and the people who make up the fabric of his everyday life, including family and friends. From painting at the age of five to developing a robust career in fine art and design, Ameen creates honest, introspective work that explores the intersections of identity and the shared human experience.
Ameen’s artistic foundation is deeply rooted in the Twin Cities arts community. From 2009 to 2012, he honed his early skills as an apprentice at Juxtaposition Arts (JXTA), an experience that ignited his passion for community-centered creation. He went on to earn his BFA in Graphic Design from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD), seamlessly bridging the gap between fine art and visual communication. Operating as a freelance graphic designer since the age of 15, Ameen has collaborated with major organizations, including Target and Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), alongside numerous local small businesses. Today, he proudly serves his hometown as the Digital Media Specialist for the City of Brooklyn Park, utilizing photography, videography, and design to give back to the community that shaped him.
As a painter, Ameen’s eccentric and deeply personal style has garnered significant recognition. He recently received the North Hennepin Community College Award of Excellence at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair Fine Arts Exhibition, building on a 1st Place award in painting at the North Hennepin juried student art show in 2018.
Ultimately, Ameen is passionate about utilizing visual art to reshape society, offer new perspectives, and create resources for fellow creatives. By bringing his authentic, vulnerable self to the canvas—exploring both his dreams and hardships—he hopes to validate the experiences of others and showcase the beautiful commonalities that connect us all.
Please visit my portfolio.
Mixed Media Show Winners!
First Place - “Seeking Ruby” by Isa Lensing
The color palette is just absolutely beautiful and extraordinary. The composition is very nice, and I love how my eye travels around the piece. The juxtaposition between the style of the birds and the background is a very explorative touch. This marbling effect happening throughout the piece is absolutely gorgeous and done really well. I also love the moments where the colors blend, like, for example, the bubbles. Overall, very beautiful imagery.
Second Place - “The Soul Sings On” by Anwesha Guha
The combination of the watercolor and the ink is used so well together. The highlights on the clothes and the skin are a beautiful touch. I love the movement and direction of the strokes in the sky and the water. The color palette is soothing.
This piece is not for sale.
Third Place - “Thinking of You” by Heather Johnson
Really gorgeous and intimate scene. I think the composition is interesting. It seems as though the moment between the foot and water is the central focal point, and the gold leaf brings you there, as well as her gaze to the foot. I like the use of book pages and the subtlety. The different textures throughout the piece are really fun to explore, but are also subtle when you stand back and look at the piece as a whole.