About Josh Mayhem

Discovery

Los Angeles-based artist Josh Mayhem’s lifelong habit of collecting children’s playthings has fueled his passion for transforming said toys into objects d’art. Among his best-known pieces are those constituting his “Blown Away” collection, in which mass-produced forms are covered in strands of resin and layers of acrylic paint to create gravity-defying drips that give the impression of the work being deconstructed by a strong wind. The popularity of this aesthetic has led to Mayhem winning the Custom of the Year award at the 2019 Designer Toys Awards, multiple releases and collaborations with many of the world’s top designer toy artists and producers, participating in TRASHed: Art of Recycling at Coachella Festival, and solo exhibitions at Clutter Gallery in Beacon NY, Bruce Lurie Gallery in Los Angeles California (as well as an artist residency), PIQ Grand Central Terminal in NYC, two solo exhibitions at The Crown Collection Gallery in both Denver and Los Angeles, feature exhibitions at galleries worldwide, and two museums.

In 2021, Mayhem once again won the Custom of the Year award at the Designer Toy Awards. Also in 2021 Mayhem made his premiere at Art Miami art fair while he concurrently showed his sold out feature exhibition, “Art Figures”.

In the process of creating his coveted sculptural works, Josh Mayhem uses gallery-quality canvases as drop cloths to create his DRIP canvas series. As each becomes decorated with an accumulation of colorful drips, patterns begin to emerge in the artist's mind. Augmenting each one with coatings of synthetic resin and additional paint splashes, these works exude complexity through the floating effect the various layers create.

As an artist, my work is an exploration of the ways in which we interact with the objects and ideas that surround us. I am particularly interested in the intersection of popular culture, technology, and the human experience, and my art reflects this fascination through a unique and immersive approach to sculpture and mixed media.

My work is heavily influenced by the world of designer toys and collectibles, as well as the vibrant aesthetics of pop art and street art. I enjoy playing with the boundaries between fine art and mass-produced objects, using my skills as a customizer to transform common materials into intricate, detailed contemporary artworks that engage the viewer on multiple levels.

Whether I am creating a custom vinyl figure, a mixed media sculpture, or an elaborate installation, my ultimate goal is to create a sense of wonder and discovery in the viewer. I want my art to invite people to step into a world that is both familiar and strange, where the everyday objects of our lives take on new meanings and become part of a larger narrative.

I hope to inspire others to see the world around them in new and exciting ways, and to engage with the objects and ideas that shape our lives in a deeper, more meaningful way.

Curriculum Vitae:

Josh Mayhem - (b. 1979) Los Angeles, U.S.

Gallery Representation -

Dec. 2022 - Present - Lyons Gallery, Australia / New Zealand
Dec. 2022 - Present - Art Space & Design, Calgary, Canada
Dec. 2022 - Present - ETRA Galeria, San Pedro, Mexico
Dec. 2022 - Present - Scapegoat Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Nov. 2022 - Present - Carousel Gallery, Miami, USA
Nov. 2022 - Present - Animazing Gallery, Las Vegas, USA
Oct. 2022 - Present - ZK Gallery, San Francisco, USA
Sept. 2022 - Present - Art Angels, Los Angeles, USA
June 2020 to June 2022 - Avant Gallery, Miami, Aventura, NYC, USA
May 2019 to June 2020 - Arushi Arts, Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Bombay, USA / England / India
July 2018 to June 2020 - Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles, Miami, USA

Solo Exhibitions -

Jan. 2020 - DRIP, The Crown Collection Gallery, Los Angeles
Aug. 2019 - Hype Breeze, The Crown Collection Gallery, Denver
Oct. 2018 - Cuteness in The Wind, PIQ, Grand Central Terminal, NYC
May. 2018 - Gravitate, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles
Aug. 2017 - Josh Mayhem Solo Show, Clutter Gallery, Beacon

Museum Exhibitions -

Sept. 2022 - Arte Vivo 2022, Tamayo Museum, Mexico City
Nov. 2020 - Arte Vivo 2020, Jumex Museum, Mexico City

Feature Exhibitions -

Oct. 2022 - Present - The Blown Away Collection, ZK Gallery, San Francisco
Sept. 2022 - Present - Infinite Flow, Art Angels, Los Angeles
Dec. 2021 - June 2022 - ART FIGURES, Avant Gallery, Miami
June 2020 - June 2022 - The Blown Away Collection, Avant Gallery, Miami - Aventura - NYC

Group Exhibitions -

Dec. 2022 - CONTEXT Art Miami, Art Angels, Miami
Sept. 2022 - Cold Dark Matters - Richard Taittinger Gallery, NYC
Dec. 2021 - Art Miami, Avant Gallery, Miami
Nov. 2021 - Gold Timey, Dcon Art Show, Designer Con, Anaheim
June 2020 - Re-Imagined. Clutter Gallery, Beacon
Feb. 2020 - Don't Drink the Kool Aid, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles
Feb. 2020 - Art Palm Springs, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Palm Springs
Jan. 2020 - Los Angeles Art Show, Arushi Arts, Los Angeles
Jan. 2020 - Los Angeles Art Show, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles
Dec. 2019 - CONTEXT Art Miami, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Miami
Dec. 2019 - (not another) Art Show, Aced Gallery, Miami
Dec. 2019 - Doheny Room Exhibition / Delano Hotel, Aced Gallery, Miami
Dec. 2019 - Boulan Hotel Exhibition, Aced Gallery, Miami
Nov. 2019 - SOFA Chicago, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Chicago
Nov. 2019 - Splotch Custom Exhibition, Designer Con, Anaheim
Oct. 2019 - Texas Contemporary, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Houston
Oct. 2019 - Mega NYCC Custom Group Show, New York Comic Con, NYC
Sept. 2019 - The Affordable Art Fair, Bruce Lurie Gallery, NYC
Sept. 2019 - The Art of Sneakers, snkrINC Pop Up Gallery, Los Angeles
Aug. 2019 - Anatoy Custom Show, Beijing Toy Show, Beijing
July 2019 - Art Market Hamptons, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Bridgehampton
July 2019 - Travelin' Creatures, PIQ Hudson Yards, NYC
June 2019 - Rattle and Bones, Clutter Gallery, Beacon
May 2019 - I Can't Believe It's Not Gutter, VS Gallery, Melbourne
May 2019 - Fractured Bloom, Five Points Festival, NYC
Apr. 2019 - Code Red - Quiccs Solo Show, Myplasticheart, NYC
Apr. 2019 - Untitled - Edition 1, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles
Apr. 2019 - Grand PIQ, PIQ Hudson Yards, NYC
Mar. 2019 - The Glow Show, Clutter Gallery, Beacon
Mar. 2019 - SC Braver Exhibition, Vintage & Vinyl Club, Hong Kong
Feb. 2019 - Art Palm Springs, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles
Jan. 2019 - Los Angeles Art Show, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles
Nov. 2018 - Legend of Lunar Beast, Culture Cartel Con, Singapore
Aug. 2018 - Street Meet!!!, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles
Aug. 2018 - 1983 ATS: Toy Dream Maker, Enjoy Art Gallery, 798 Art District, Beijing
July 2018 - Market Art + Design 2018 / Art Market Hamptons, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Bridgehampton
Apr. 2018 - Aloha! Lolligag Custom Show, PIQ, Grand Central Terminal, NYC
Feb. 2018 - NBA All Star Cross Over, Majestic Hotel, Los Angeles
Dec. 2017 - Toy Stories - Star Wars Edition, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles
Nov. 2017 - Toy Stories, Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles
Sept. 2017 - The Art of Daruma, Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention, Singapore
Aug. 2017 - Show Me The Munny, Rule Gallery / Leisure Gallery, Denver
July. 2017 - Warner Bros Entertainment x Funko - Marvin The Martian: Space Clones Custom Show, Funko Pop Up Shop, San Diego Comic Con, San Diego
Apr. 2017 - TRASHed Coachella: The Art of Recycling, Coachella Festival, Coachella
Mar. 2017 - Skullhead Samurai Custom Show, FLABSLAB, Singapore
Oct. 2016 - Artsy Tartsy, Farmers Daughter Hotel, Los Angeles
Oct. 2016 - Confection Affection, New York Comic Con, NYC
Oct. 2016 - DTA Dunny Show, New York Comic Con, NYC
Oct. 2016 - Bitches Be Trippin', New York Comic Con, NYC
Aug. 2016 - Kaleidoscope of Kyoot, Clutter Gallery, Beacon
May 2016 - the pARTy, NeueHouse, Hollywood
Apr. 2016 - Hello Kitty & 99 Friends Show, PIQ, Grand Central Terminal, NYC
June 2016 - All J Long, Suburban Vinyl, New Jersey
Jan. 2015 - DTA Dunny Show, Clutter Gallery, Beacon
Nov. 2014 - Dead As F*ck, DesignerCon, Pasadena
Aug. 2014 - Monster Kolor Custom Show, PIQ, Grand Central Terminal, NYC
Aug. 2014 - Toy Box Cleveland, Breakneck Gallery, Lakewood
July. 2014 - Clutter Custom Show, Clutter Gallery, Beacon
Dec. 2013 - 20 Rangers for 20 Years, Toy Art Gallery, Hollywood
Sept. 2013 - TAG Anniversary Show, Toy Art Gallery, Hollywood
Aug. 2013 - Music To My Ears, Toy Art Gallery, Hollywood
July 2013 - The Ghost Within Us, San Diego Comic Con, San Diego
Apr. 2013 - Designing Outside The Lines, 1AM Gallery, San Francisco
Mar. 2013 - So Bad Ass It's Good, WonderCon, Anaheim
Mar. 2013 - Spring Forward, Blu Dot, Hollywood
Feb. 2013 - Art Without Borders, Art Whino, National Harbor
Dec. 2012 - Hug, Toy Art Gallery, Hollywood
Nov. 2012 - Dunny Show, Plastic Chapel, Denver
Aug. 2012 - Memories Are Made of These, Munky King, Hollywood
June 2012 - Battle of a Lifetime, Pehrspace Gallery, Los Angeles
Apr. 2012 - Playsam 500, Super 7, San Francisco
Apr. 2012 - Twisted Mickey, Suntec City Mall, Singapore
Mar. 2012 - Bellicosity, Toy Art Gallery, Hollywood
Dec. 2011 - Holiday Bizarr, Crewest Gallery, Los Angeles

Juried Exhibitions -

Apr. 2017 - TRASHed Coachella: The Art of Recycling Exhibition Preview, Zynderia Studios, Los Angeles

Awards -

Nov. 2021 - Winner, Custom of the Year, 2020 Designer Toy Awards, NYC
June 2019 - Winner, Custom of the Year, 2019 Designer Toy Awards, NYC
Apr. 2017 - Best of Show, TRASHed Coachella: The Art of Recycling Preview Exhibition, Zynderia Studios, Los Angeles
Sept. 2016 - Breakthrough Artist Nomination, Designer Toy Awards, NYC
Sept. 2016 - Custom of the Year Nomination, Designer Toy Awards, NYC

Published Articles -

Nov. 2021 - Josh Mayhem: Turning Art Toys Into Contemporary Sculpture, HauteLiving.com
June 2018 - Gravitate Featuring Josh Mayhem, CON ART Magazine
Feb 2018 - Super Player, 24 Page Picture Spread, Designer Books
Aug. 2017 - Josh Mayhem's Solo Show of Blown Away Works, CoART Magazine
June 2015 - Mischief & Mayhem, Clutter Magazine
Nov. 2014 - Josh Mayhem Makes Gunnys & Customizes Munny's, News.EntertainmentEarth.Com
Apr. 2014 - Josh Mayhem Makes Awesome Custom Toys with Old Gundam Kits, Geek Magazine

Collections -

Private Collection, J Balvin - Recording Artist, Colombia
Private Collection, Matt Altman - Million Dollar Listing, Los Angeles
Private Collection, Lisa Hochstein - Housewives of Miami, Miami
Private Collection, Greg Anzalone - CEO Sideshow Collectibles, Santa Barbara

About

Artist Statement