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Paul Mellia: Icons of the Universe

Chester's Watergate Street Gallery proudly announces that is to host an art exhibition of world famous superhero artist Paul Mellia, "Icons of the Universe".

Reported by the Financial Times as a sound investment originals and limited edition are realising up to 10 times the purchase price. Only one original of each superhero is allowed and there are over a billion fanatical fans out there!

View a selection of Mellia's images at the exhibition

The launch night will take place at Manchester 235 Casino & Venue on Friday 17th June for one night only, where internationally acclaimed super realism artist PAUL MELLIA will attend. This incredible art exhibition will return to Chester's Watergate Street Gallery, one of the UK's finest contemporary art galleries, on the 20th June for a fortnight.

This will be FIRST time that Paul will have exhibited his collections in the North and the VIP event is expected to attract cult comic book followers, celebrities, and sports stars all eager to get their hands on limited edition art work. "Pop Art Goes Vegas" will feature Mellia's iconic Superheroes, Hollywood Greats and American Classics, as well as five new original works of art revealed for the first time, making this event a truly unique and rare experience and a must see for art lovers.

Says Alex Sharp, Exhibition Director at the Watergate Street Gallery: "Manchester 235 Casino is a state of the arts venue which embodies Las Vegas glamour, dramatic design, style and excitement, and is quite unlike anything else in the city, hence making it the perfect location for this exclusive one night showing. We are urging art lovers to join us for this event and for the chance to simply appreciate the stunning collections or have the chance to make a limited edition purchase or even commission a one off Mellia work of art."

Mellia's work has evoked a cult following and status with street and graffiti artist BANKSY, the late PRINCESS DIANA, LISA MARIE PRESLEY, Motley Crue's TOMMY LEE and TV chat show host JONATHAN ROSS are just a few of the celebrity fans of Paul's work, who's been recently invited to the BBC Art show with Claudia Winkleman, where Paul spoke about his new works, and appeared on the Financial Times Life & Arts by Peter Aspeden appraising the value of investment of his works, some of them have reached a value of £150,000.

Paul is one of the few artists in the world licensed by MARVEL COMICS to reproduce their cartoon super heroes with SPIDERMAN, the INCREDIBLE HULK, also approved by DC Warner Brothers for a very rare and very limited number of originals like CATWOMAN, SUPERMAN, JOKER, all of which have a unique and mesmerising allure that has become Paul's signature style. While his prints are more affordable, original works of art and proofs of Paul's work are known to fetch five and six figure sums...

On his forthcoming exhibition Paul Mellia said "I am thrilled to be working with Manchester 235 Casino and the Watergate Street Gallery in order to exhibit my collections of works for the first time ever in Manchester and unveiling new pieces for the first time. Manchester and Chester have a vibrant art scene and there is a real passion for art in both cities. It's a great opportunity to be working with Alex Sharp, Exhibition Director at the Watergate Street Gallery and Carl Galloway, VIP Manager at 235. Both are such passionate ambassadors for modern art and they are working together to provide a wonderful setting for the people of Manchester & Chester to come and see my work."

Can't make the event at 235 on Friday 17th? Don't worry...you can still enjoy the exhibition which will be moving to Chester's Watergate Street Gallery from June 20th where the collections will be displayed for a further two weeks.

About Paul Mellia

Paul is one of the world's fastest selling artists in today's contemporary art scene, 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 art degree from South End College of Art (1976-1979). His first appointment was painting frescos and 16th Century images for the Baroness De Vail in Paris. There, he lived an almost Bohemian existence, basking in the inspiration of legendary painters and sculptors such as Rubin, Picasso, Dali and Gaudi. 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. "I probably hide a lot of stuff", he acknowledges, "and in the paintings, the truth comes out." Over the years, Paul's striking work has exhibited in major cities across the world, and garnered him ongoing acclaim. In Los Angeles, his debut solo show, Preview of Hollywood, sold out in the first two days of opening. Returning to the UK, 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.

In 1998, powered by the death of his mother, he translated the emotional void into a hypnotic series of 3D Chrome Robots. The first to be painted on aluminium, they salute the vulnerability and compelling strength of women, and were featured at SEGA World in London for a number of years. The robots remain one of his most popular images among a fan base that is ever expanding. High profile celebrities, royalty and other artists admire his work. Even the legendary street and graffiti artist BANKSY is an enthusiast. "I thought he was a pizza delivery boy" says Paul of his passing encounter in the lobby of a Brighton PR office. Quite what the Bristol boy thought of the London boy remains unknown, but BANKSY was unequivocal about the art – becoming the proud owner of an Incredible Hulk Artist Proof.

About Watergate Street Gallery

Please contact Alex Sharp on 01244 345698 or alex@watergatestreetgallery.co.uk for more information.

The Watergate Street Gallery opened in 1992 with a philosophy to bring new, fresh and different art to all. An independent art gallery in Chester with no publisher ties, free to sell works of art not seen in any other gallery in the UK.

Watergate Street Gallery 60 Watergate Street, Chester, CH1 2LA
t. 0044 (0)1244 345698 e.
Copyright © 2012 Watergate Street Gallery
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