For the ST episode with a similar title, please see "The Escape Artist".
An escape artist was a type of entertainer who excelled at liberating themselves from restraints or perilous situations.
In 2256, jailbreaker Harry Mudd claimed to have, along with his pet insect Stuart, escaped from a Klingon prison by employing "a feat of magic that would make the most accomplished escape artist blush" (DIS: "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad")
Magician Harry Houdini was a famous escape artist. (ENT: "Shadows of P'Jem")