Will Maxen (b. 1993) is a contemporary painter whose figurative works explore memory, identity and belonging through compositions drawn from personal photographs, historical imagery and everyday experience. Blending representation with abstraction, his paintings examine race, intimacy and the complexities of lived experience. Maxen earned his B.A. in Illustration from Central Connecticut State University and his M.F.A. (2023) in Studio Art from the University of California, Davis. In 2023, his work was recognized with the LeShelle & Gary May Art Purchase Prize and entered the university's permanent collection.