Michael Fikaris is an award winning artist of Greek-Ukrainian ancestry based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. Their work explores themes of identity and growth. Raised by a single mother in various locations they are proud to have come from such a diverse socioeconomic background and hold a strong belief that art is a powerful catalyst for personal empowerment and social change.
Initially a central figure in both Melbourne’s comic zines and street art movements in the early 2000's, Fikaris has expanded their oeuvre into community building and large-scale painting while developing a career that includes freelance commissions and ongoing partnerships around the world. Whether hired to paint a mural or deliver a series of workshops, every opportunity is seen as a chance to foster connections with people and place.
Fikaris is also a producer and community arts practitioner who founded Silent Army Projects in 2011, a platform focused on collaborative, creative engagement. This dedication has seen him receive a national award for outstanding service to Australian comics, produce many innovative publications of Australian artists and manage several international tours which have resulted in meaningful intercultural projects and connections. In 2020 the Silent Army publication Down Down Under was nominated for a prestigious Eisner award.
As an author and illustrator of graphic fiction, Fikaris has comics published with Kus! (SRY not Sorry, 2022), Glom Press (Check Points, 2023) as well as shorter pieces in anthologies from Pantheon (Rescue Party, 2024) and Strapazin (No.160, 2025). They have participated in international placements in Belgium, Portugal, Greece, Catalonia and Indonesia as well as with festivals in UK, France and Timor Leste. Cross-cultural experiences have inspired their understanding of the role of art as not just a luxury, but also an essential process for making sense of the world we all share.
Fikaris' work is held in several major public collections, including the National Gallery of Victoria (Living Artists Collection), the State Library of Victoria (Artists’ Books Collection), and the National Gallery of Australia (Book Arts Collection).
“Michael Fikaris is a great worker in comic books, a remarkable innovator and scene setter… he’s really part of the materiality of Melbourne”.
Smart Arts, Triple R FM Radio , Melbourne, 2023