Michael Gunnar Murray

I came of age while the surf/skate/snow sports lifestyle of Southern California was exploding onto the mainstream. Immersed in that subculture as it melded with the O.C. punk scene, I was drawn in by the bands and burgeoning action sports brands that were putting out music and DIY anti-establishment imagery. As a result of these influences and being raised in an art and music-loving family, I became a designer and visual storyteller (and musician).

These early foundational adventures (or misadventures) informed my visual aesthetic, which became further honed through schooling and mentorships. When the opportunity presented itself to start a design business, I took it and ran with it for over a decade. That experience led to an Art Director position with a global branding agency.

For the entirety of my career, I have solved design challenges for companies in need of branding, packaging, logo development, 3D visualization, experiential marketing, and events campaigns. Whether illustrating a skate deck, helping develop global licensing promotions, working with a team, or learning a new program, I enjoy the whole process.

Clients have included Arbor Sports, Arch Motorcycles (Keanu Reeves’ brand), Bulletproof Coffee, Coca-Cola, Disney, Dogtown Skateboards, ESPN, Hyundai (NFL), LG Electronics, Nestle, and Von Dutch, to name a few.

Though the wild days of that hardcore surf/punk scene molded me, now experience and time have made way for further adventures, such as fatherhood, motorcycle riding, traveling, learning jazz guitar, meditation, and painting, that continue to inform my craft.