diff --git a/src/Avatar.tsx b/src/Avatar.tsx
index 857ad7d0984..f6018d0213a 100644
--- a/src/Avatar.tsx
+++ b/src/Avatar.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
-import styled from 'styled-components'
-import {get} from './constants'
-import sx, {SxProp} from './sx'
-import {ComponentProps} from './utils/types'
+import React from 'react'
+import Box from './Box'
+import {SxProp, merge, BetterSystemStyleObject} from './sx'
 
-type StyledAvatarProps = {
+export type AvatarProps = {
   /** Sets the width and height of the avatar. */
   size?: number
   /** Sets the shape of the avatar to a square if true. If false, the avatar will be circular. */
@@ -12,9 +11,10 @@ type StyledAvatarProps = {
   src: string
   /** Provide alt text when the Avatar is used without the user's name next to it. */
   alt?: string
-} & SxProp
+} & SxProp &
+  Omit<React.ComponentProps<'img'>, 'ref'>
 
-function getBorderRadius({size, square}: StyledAvatarProps) {
+function getBorderRadius({size, square}: Pick<AvatarProps, 'size' | 'square'>) {
   if (square) {
     return size && size <= 24 ? '4px' : '6px'
   } else {
@@ -22,23 +22,20 @@ function getBorderRadius({size, square}: StyledAvatarProps) {
   }
 }
 
-const Avatar = styled.img.attrs<StyledAvatarProps>(props => ({
-  height: props.size,
-  width: props.size
-}))<StyledAvatarProps>`
-  display: inline-block;
-  overflow: hidden; // Ensure page layout in Firefox should images fail to load
-  line-height: ${get('lineHeights.condensedUltra')};
-  vertical-align: middle;
-  border-radius: ${props => getBorderRadius(props)};
-  ${sx}
-`
+const Avatar = React.forwardRef<HTMLImageElement, AvatarProps>((props, ref) => {
+  const {size = 20, alt = '', square = false, sx = {}, ...rest} = props
 
-Avatar.defaultProps = {
-  size: 20,
-  alt: '',
-  square: false
-}
+  const styles: BetterSystemStyleObject = {
+    display: 'inline-block',
+    overflow: 'hidden',
+    lineHeight: 'condensedUltra',
+    verticalAlign: 'middle',
+    width: size,
+    height: size,
+    borderRadius: getBorderRadius({size, square})
+  }
+  return <Box as="img" alt={alt} ref={ref} sx={merge<BetterSystemStyleObject>(styles, sx)} {...rest} />
+})
 
-export type AvatarProps = ComponentProps<typeof Avatar>
+Avatar.displayName = 'Avatar'
 export default Avatar
diff --git a/src/__tests__/Avatar.test.tsx b/src/__tests__/Avatar.test.tsx
index 24ce518a3be..3030bb0bc82 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/Avatar.test.tsx
+++ b/src/__tests__/Avatar.test.tsx
@@ -24,14 +24,16 @@ describe('Avatar', () => {
   it('renders small by default', () => {
     const size = 20
     const result = render(<Avatar src="primer.png" />)
-    expect(result.props.width).toEqual(size)
-    expect(result.props.height).toEqual(size)
+
+    expect(result).toHaveStyleRule('width', px(size))
+    expect(result).toHaveStyleRule('height', px(size))
   })
 
   it('respects the size prop', () => {
     const result = render(<Avatar size={40} src="primer.png" alt="github" />)
-    expect(result.props.width).toEqual(40)
-    expect(result.props.height).toEqual(40)
+
+    expect(result).toHaveStyleRule('width', '40px')
+    expect(result).toHaveStyleRule('height', '40px')
   })
 
   it('passes through the src prop', () => {
diff --git a/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/Avatar.test.tsx.snap b/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/Avatar.test.tsx.snap
index 6c84752e4de..5eb4cdf3a9e 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/Avatar.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/Avatar.test.tsx.snap
@@ -6,14 +6,13 @@ exports[`Avatar renders consistently 1`] = `
   overflow: hidden;
   line-height: 1;
   vertical-align: middle;
+  width: 20px;
+  height: 20px;
   border-radius: 50%;
 }
 
 <img
   alt=""
   className="c0"
-  height={20}
-  size={20}
-  width={20}
 />
 `;
diff --git a/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/Token.test.tsx.snap b/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/Token.test.tsx.snap
index f16b0d27a3a..7df83c10b86 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/Token.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/src/__tests__/__snapshots__/Token.test.tsx.snap
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders all sizes 1`] = `
   overflow: hidden;
   line-height: 1;
   vertical-align: middle;
-  border-radius: 50%;
   width: 100%;
   height: 100%;
+  border-radius: 50%;
 }
 
 .c5 {
@@ -166,10 +166,7 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders all sizes 1`] = `
       <img
         alt=""
         className="c3"
-        height={16}
-        size={16}
         src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/mperrotti"
-        width={16}
       />
     </span>
   </span>
@@ -217,9 +214,9 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders all sizes 2`] = `
   overflow: hidden;
   line-height: 1;
   vertical-align: middle;
-  border-radius: 50%;
   width: 100%;
   height: 100%;
+  border-radius: 50%;
 }
 
 .c5 {
@@ -377,10 +374,7 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders all sizes 2`] = `
       <img
         alt=""
         className="c3"
-        height={20}
-        size={20}
         src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/mperrotti"
-        width={20}
       />
     </span>
   </span>
@@ -428,9 +422,9 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders all sizes 3`] = `
   overflow: hidden;
   line-height: 1;
   vertical-align: middle;
-  border-radius: 50%;
   width: 100%;
   height: 100%;
+  border-radius: 50%;
 }
 
 .c5 {
@@ -588,10 +582,7 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders all sizes 3`] = `
       <img
         alt=""
         className="c3"
-        height={24}
-        size={24}
         src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/mperrotti"
-        width={24}
       />
     </span>
   </span>
@@ -639,9 +630,9 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders all sizes 4`] = `
   overflow: hidden;
   line-height: 1;
   vertical-align: middle;
-  border-radius: 50%;
   width: 100%;
   height: 100%;
+  border-radius: 50%;
 }
 
 .c5 {
@@ -799,10 +790,7 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders all sizes 4`] = `
       <img
         alt=""
         className="c3"
-        height={32}
-        size={32}
         src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/mperrotti"
-        width={32}
       />
     </span>
   </span>
@@ -850,9 +838,9 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders all sizes 5`] = `
   overflow: hidden;
   line-height: 1;
   vertical-align: middle;
-  border-radius: 50%;
   width: 100%;
   height: 100%;
+  border-radius: 50%;
 }
 
 .c5 {
@@ -1010,10 +998,7 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders all sizes 5`] = `
       <img
         alt=""
         className="c3"
-        height={32}
-        size={32}
         src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/mperrotti"
-        width={32}
       />
     </span>
   </span>
@@ -1144,9 +1129,9 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders isSelected 1`] = `
   overflow: hidden;
   line-height: 1;
   vertical-align: middle;
-  border-radius: 50%;
   width: 100%;
   height: 100%;
+  border-radius: 50%;
 }
 
 .c4 {
@@ -1252,10 +1237,7 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders isSelected 1`] = `
       <img
         alt=""
         className="c3"
-        height={20}
-        size={20}
         src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/mperrotti"
-        width={20}
       />
     </span>
   </span>
@@ -1273,9 +1255,9 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders with a remove button 1`] = `
   overflow: hidden;
   line-height: 1;
   vertical-align: middle;
-  border-radius: 50%;
   width: 100%;
   height: 100%;
+  border-radius: 50%;
 }
 
 .c5 {
@@ -1433,10 +1415,7 @@ exports[`Token components AvatarToken renders with a remove button 1`] = `
       <img
         alt=""
         className="c3"
-        height={20}
-        size={20}
         src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/mperrotti"
-        width={20}
       />
     </span>
   </span>
diff --git a/src/stories/Avatar.stories.tsx b/src/stories/Avatar.stories.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..23760d9b050
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/stories/Avatar.stories.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import Avatar from '../Avatar'
+import {Meta} from '@storybook/react'
+import React from 'react'
+import {ThemeProvider} from '..'
+import BaseStyles from '../BaseStyles'
+
+const meta: Meta = {
+  title: 'Building blocks/Avatar/fixtures',
+  component: Avatar,
+  decorators: [
+    (Story: React.ComponentType): JSX.Element => (
+      <ThemeProvider>
+        <BaseStyles>
+          <Story />
+        </BaseStyles>
+      </ThemeProvider>
+    )
+  ]
+}
+export default meta
+
+export function SimpleAvatar(): JSX.Element {
+  return <Avatar alt="Primer logo" src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/primer" />
+}
+
+export function CustomSize(): JSX.Element {
+  return <Avatar size={48} alt="Primer logo" src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/primer" />
+}
+
+export function SquareAvatar(): JSX.Element {
+  return <Avatar square alt="Primer logo" src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/primer" />
+}
+
+export function DefaultAltText(): JSX.Element {
+  return <Avatar src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/primer" />
+}
+
+export function AcceptsRef(): JSX.Element {
+  const ref = React.useRef<HTMLImageElement>(null)
+
+  return <Avatar ref={ref} src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/primer" data-test-id="avatar" />
+}
+
+export function AcceptsSxProp(): JSX.Element {
+  return (
+    <>
+      <Avatar sx={{marginRight: 4}} src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/primer" />
+      <span>text pushed to right because avatar has margin</span>
+    </>
+  )
+}