Stephen Batiz is a self-taught painter, illustrator, and creator of site-specific interactive installations. Born in New York City to Puerto Rican and Guatemalan parents, he now lives and works in Louisville, Kentucky, where he has found a sense of home. His practice explores belonging, perception, and the tension between isolation and connection. Batiz creates environments where symbolism, participation, and material presence foster shared experience.

​

His practice has been shaped not only through making art, but also through his work as a picture framer, art handler, and teaching artist. These experiences have deepened his understanding of how artwork is created, installed, and encountered, while reinforcing his belief that art should be accessible, and participatory.

​

Recurring symbols appear throughout his work as expressions of an ongoing search for meaning. While painting offers a space for introspection, his interactive installations invite viewers to complete the work through movement, touch, and presence.

​

Drawing from a multicultural upbringing and a self-directed artistic path, Batiz creates work for those who have felt unseen. Rather than offering resolution, his work creates opportunities for recognition and connection. He sees art as one of the few experiences that feels unquestionably real and invites others to share in that reality, however briefly.