Vik Muniz (b. 1961, São Paulo, Brazil) is a Brazilian-American artist renowned for his innovative and playful use of unconventional materials in photography. Originally trained as a sculptor, Muniz transitioned to photography, using everyday items like chocolate, sugar, and garbage to recreate iconic images from art history and popular culture. His work explores themes of perception, memory, and the nature of representation, often blurring the lines between reality and illusion. Muniz gained international recognition with his Pictures of Garbage series, which involved collaborating with garbage pickers in Rio de Janeiro to create large-scale compositions from trash. His work has been exhibited globally, including at the Guggenheim Museum, MoMA, and the Tate Modern, and he was featured in the Academy Award-nominated documentary Waste Land. Muniz splits his time between Brooklyn and Rio de Janeiro, continuing to push the boundaries of art and social engagement.