Justin Riley was born in Fayetteville Arkansas in 1982. From childhood, his mother encouraged the artistic expression present within him, from Legos to finger-paints. His high school art teacher inspired him to pursue the life of an artist. Throughout college, he explored many different art forms, with a focus on metal casting, sculpture, and interactive projects that used technology as a means of communication and interaction. After receiving his BFA in sculpture at the University of Kansas in 2005 he felt the need to develop a broader perspective on the world before pursuing graduate school. He moved to Amsterdam for two years, combining his education with his love of music to work as a DJ, VJ and club promoter. Following Amsterdam, Justin traveled in Southeast Asia, working on public art projects using recycled and found materials. In May 2011, he received his M.F.A. in Performance and Interactive Media Arts at Brooklyn College. Justin worked for 11 years in New York City as an artist, designer, DJ, fabricator, video editor, carpenter and stagehand. Due to Covid-19, he has since moved back home to Arkansas, where he is trying to bring some of the magic of the underground Brooklyn scene to Northwest Arkansas.