Biography of Paul P.
“I believe Beauty to be the reason for art” the rising-star Paul P. once said, and looking through his oeuvre it is impossible not to be struck by the sheer beauty of his work.
Notable for landscape and figurative works, Paul P. draws from a wide range of influences, from 19th century artists such as James Abbott Whistler or John Singer Sargent, to gay and lesbian pornography. Although these influences may seem worlds apart, Paul P.’s ability to create dreamlike contexts causes for a stunning recurring style in the artist’s work. Whilst his choice of medium ranges from ink on paper, to oil on canvas, to etchings, the sensuality and tranquility of his landscapes and nudes make these subjects inextricable under his skillful artistic direction.
Born in Ontario, Canada (1977), the artist Paul P. obtained his Bachelor of Fine Art at York University in Toronto, Canada. He claims his education had little influence on his practice and that it was rather his rummaging through the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Archive that kick started his career. His early work consists of portraits of undressed young men taken from the imagery found in these archives, but the sheer sensuality, the softness of his brush stroke on the canvas and the nonchalant, artful poses of his male figures demonstrate his fascinating ability to blur the line between pornography and art.
The artist Paul P. has exhibited internationally since the turn of the century, with solo exhibitions dedicated to his oeuvre in cities like New York, Toronto, London, Tel Aviv, Berlin, and Paris among others. His work has featured in group exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the and Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina in Naples, but also at the Biennale de Montreal in 2015. Additionally, the artist showed his multi-faceted talent in moving between mediums at the Whitney Biennale in New York in 2014, with an elegant installation created out of mahogany wood entitled Writing Table for Nancy Mitford (Blitz) Era.
