Miguel Aguilar received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2000, with a concentration in Painting & Drawing. He gained experience as a freelance graphic designer in offset printing, product packaging, and apparel design. In 2003, Miguel founded Defiance Gallery and curated international graffiti art exhibitions. He also has been contracted as a graffiti artist for Fortune 500 companies like: Nike, Sprite, Ford, Jeep, and U.S. Cellular. In 2011, Miguel received a Masters of Art in Teaching from SAIC, along with an Illinois State Board of Education Arts certification Type 10 (K-12). He currently works at Yollocalli Arts Reach as Program Coordinator and is an adjunct professor at School of the Arts Institute of Chicago in Art History.