Austin Lightholder

Austin Lightholder is a senior at the University of North Florida working towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He works across acrylic painting, collage, photography, charcoal drawing, and plaster sculpture and likes to explore all three dimensions in his work, both wall and floor-based. His practice centers on themes of transformation, passion, and raw emotional expression. Informed by his neurodivergent perspective, he approaches the world with a unique sensitivity to pattern, contrast, and emotional nuance. His work often resists fixed meaning, favoring layered compositions that seek to invite viewers into evolving states of thought and feeling.  

During his residency at MOCA, he will create a body of work under the theme Alchemy of Perception—an exploration of transformation as both an inward experience and outward gesture. Through this, he seeks to confront and communicate the beauty and volatility of change, producing artworks that both absorb and express the energy of becoming. The exhibition will take place from January 17 through May 17, 2026. 

Visit Austin's Instagram to view some of his previous work. As part of his residency, he will be holding opening studio hours at MOCA. Details will be announced in late August.