PAUL MELLIA

 

Paul Mellia is a super-realism artist renowned for his distinctive 3-D interpretations of celebrated icons. Straddling the delicate line between visual art and popular culture, his work is neither illustrative nor photographic, but stands somewhere between the two.  Born in 1958, Paul’s career began after graduating with a fine arts degree from South End College of Art. His first appointment was painting frescos and 16th century images for the Baroness De Vail in Paris. There, basking in the inspiration of legendary painters and sculptors such as Rubin, Picasso and Dali. But it was Warhol’s pop art that resonated the deepest, subsequently fuelling Paul to focus on what he loved most – images of Americana, gleaned from books given to him as a child.  “From a very early age I was able to paint them in fine detail. I wanted to make them real and show a different side of them.” Despite his phenomenal success, Paul remains endearingly modest. His mischievous playfulness and rough-edged directness belies a compassionate sensitivity.

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 Over the years Paul’s works have been exhibited in major cities across the world including London, L.A, and Monte Carlo. In Los Angeles his debut solo show ‘Preview of Hollywood’, sold out in the first two days of opening. Returning to the U.K Paul designed and created a life-size work of art, which surrounded a prestigious Docklands development, which was unveiled by the then Minister For The Arts, Richard Luce. 

Paul Mellia’s work is predominantly by private commission for collectors who see the desirability of owning unique one-off commissioned works of art. Many of these people prefer to invest their money in valuable artwork to stocks and shares.  In 2006 Paul’s original artwork for Batman & The Joker was sold for £56,000 and was resold via the London Stock Exchange for in excess of £76,000.

 

Mellia was also the first artist in 60 years allowed to recreate the original artwork of Thomas The Tank Engine.  The original painting that he was commissioned to create was later sold at auction for £150,000 and bought by HIT Entertainment, which was then subsequently presented to Her Majesty The Queen.  Exhibitions of Paul Mellia’s work are rare occasions and an opportunity for individuals and art collectors to admire and acquire unique one-off pieces of artwork.  In recent years the artist’s work has been exhibited at the Hermitage Hotel Monte Carlo, Canvas Wimbledon Gallery in addition to his original artwork mural for the London 2012 Olympics. Mellia’s work has evoked a cult following and status with street and graffiti artist BANKSY, the late Princess Diana, Lisa Marie Presley, Seal, Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee and T.V chat show host Jonathan Ross are just a few of the celebrity collectors of Paul’s work.  Paul Mellia is one of a select few artists in the world licensed by Marvel and DC Comics to reproduce their superhero characters Spiderman and The Incredible Hulk, the same collection includes Cat-woman and The Joker. These along with many other characters represent some of the artist’s most popular recreations, all of which have a unique and mesmerizing allure that has become the artist’s signature style.