About the Artist
Isabella Mellado (b. San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a painter and educator based in Chicago, IL. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2018 and her Masters in Fine Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2023. Mellado is best known for her magical realist paintings on latinidad, queer identity, tarot and occult spirituality. She works in a wide range of media including painting, photography, costume design, digital collage and sculpture.
In the Spring of 2023, Mellado completed a Teacher Institute Fellowship at the Museum of Contemporary Arts Chicago as well as a Teaching Fellowship at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her work has been featured at art fairs such as Material Art Fair in Mexico City, MX; The Ponce Biennial in Ponce, PR; Pulse Contemporary Art Fair in Miami, FL and MECA Art Fair in San Juan, PR. Additionally, Mellado has exhibited at the Bronx Museum in New York, NY; Povos Gallery and Kavi Gupta Gallery in Chicago, IL; Walter Otero Contemporary Art in San Juan, PR and Swivel Gallery in New York, NY among others.
Photo by Dayson Roa
Press
Liminal: Nmprac
Isabella Mellado creates El Tonto for Liminal, curated by Anais Caro for the Museum of Puerto Rican Art and Culture in Chicago.
El Tonto has now been acquired as part of the museum's permanent collection.
Te dire quien eres: povos gallery
Isabella Mellado and Povos Gallery open their first solo show together during Expo Art Week.
Desde el charco: youngarts gallery
Isabella Mellado and Youngarts Gallery open their first solo show together during Miami Art Week.
Material Art Fair: Swivel Gallery
Isabella Mellado exhibits The Wheel of Fortune alongside two other Swivel Gallery (NYC) artists at Material Art Fair in Mexico City.
Commissioner Mexico City Art Week in Review
Botany of desire: swivel Gallery
Isabella Mellado exhibits The Hierophant in group show, Botany of Desire with Swivel Gallery in New York, NY.
Isabella Mellado exhibits Two of Cups in group show, Hot Summer Pt. 2 with Swivel Gallery in New York, NY. This work was originally featured at Art in Common's group exhibition Boil, Toil and Trouble.
Isabella Mellado's work, Nine of Swords (I am not my body), was featured and sold in auction at the Bronx Museum's 2023 Gala + Silent Auction, held in honor of Angel Otero, Olivia W. Douglas and Will Calhoun.
Walter Otero Contemporary Art hosts the Mellado's second solo show in Puerto Rico, Realismo Magico.
WAPA: Mellado designs cape for Miss Puerto Rico at Miss Universe Pageant , image of cape
boil toil & trouble: Art in common
Isabella Mellado's Two of Cups was featured in group show Boil, Toil & Trouble. This show was hosted by Art in Common and featured artworks by prolific artists such as Ana Mendieta, Marina Abromovic & Radcliffe Bailey.
Featured Artist for Drag me to the Daylight Disco, the Pride Edition of Gertie Chicago's bi-weekly event, (Inter)mezzo. Hosted by Nick Cave & Bob Faust at the Blind Barber.
Artist in Residence at Gertie Chicago's event, (Inter)mezzo, held at The Blind Barber. Conducted an artist talk and created a unique installation for the night. Tarot readings were held by collaborator and photographer Lauren Oberlin.
Mellado showcased her painting, The Moon, in the second iteration of Kavi Gupta Gallery's group show, Skin + Masks. This exhibition was curated by Vic Mensa and Chanelle Lacy, and ran through the tenth anniversary edition of EXPO CHICAGO. Mellado carried out an artist talk in relation to the exhibition at the gallery.
CV
Education
2023 | MFA School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)
2018 | BFA Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
2017 | European Honors Program, RISD in Rome
Grants, Fellowships & residencies
2019 | Residency at Vermont Studio Center, Johnson, VT
2018 | Residency at The Studios at Mass MoCA, North Adams, MA
2018 | Residency at Dacia Gallery, New York, NY
2018 | Fellowship at Ox-Bow, Sagatuck, MI
2018 | RISD's Florence Leif Award, Providence, RI
2018 | Finalist at Orangenius' Art Elevated Competition
2017 | Anderson Ranch, Snowmass Village, CO
group exhibitions
2024 | Liminal, National Museum of Puerto Rican Art and Culture, Chicago IL
2024 | Material Art Fair, Swivel Gallery, Mexico City MX
2023 | Hot Summer, Swivel Gallery, New York NY
2023 |Gala + Silent Auction, Bronx Museum, Chicago IL
2023 | Boil, Toil & Trouble, Art in Common, Chicago IL
2023 | Me Importas Tu, The Martin, Chicago IL
2023 | The Ground Between Us, Heaven Gallery, Chicago IL
2023 | MFA Show, SAIC, Chicago IL
2022 | Skin + Masks, Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago IL
2022 | Homeplace, Graduate Open Studios SAIC, Chicago IL
2021 | Red is Love, Galería Petrus, San Juan PR
2020 | Celebration!, Galería Petrus, San Juan PR
2019 | MECA Art Fair: Samsøn Galllery, San Juan PR
2019 | Ponce Biennial: Biblioteca Municipal Mariana Suárez de Longo, Ponce PR
2018 | NYC Artist Residency Exhibition: Dacia Gallery, New York NY
2018 | Art Elevated: Installation of Banners in Garment District, Orangenius, New York NY
2018 | You Have to Leave to Come Back: Ox-Bow Closing Show, Dogulas Visitor's Center, Douglas MI
2018 | EMINENT DOMAIN, Art 511 Magazine hosted by Robert Miller Gallery, New York NY
2018 | Wish You Were Here: Journals, Journeys & Expeditions, The Institute Library, New Haven CT
2017 | YoungArts Booth: South Tent, Pulse Contemporary Art Fair, Miami FL
2017 | Basta: Final Group Show, Palazzetto Cenci, Rome IT
2017 | Hic Jacet: Group Show, Castle of Sant’Eusanio Forconese, Castelvecchio IT
2017 | Tiny Biennale, Temple University, Rome IT
2016 | Even Now (or then) As Formerly, Benson Gallery, Providence RI
2014 | YoungArts Group Exhibit, MOMA PS1, New York NY
2013 | Today’s Portrait: Group Show, Viota Gallery, San Juan PR
Solo exhibitions
2024 | Te Diré Quien Eres, Povos Gallery, Chicago IL
2023 | Desde el Charco, Youngarts Gallery, Miami FL
2023 | Isabella Mellado, Walter Otero Contemporary Art, San Juan, PR
2022 | Ingress, SAIC Incubator Space, Chicago IL
2019 | Studio Solo Show at Club Jibarito, San Juan, PR
2016 | Isabella Mellado: Observations of Self, Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción, Boston, MA
2015 | Isabella Mellado, Obra Gallery, San Juan, PR
2013 | Isabella Mellado: Solo Show, Arana Foundation, “Campechada” festival San Juan, PR
Press
2024 | Isabella Mellado una Mística Moderna, interview with Cesar Rios for Contorno Mexico
2023 | Featured Artist during (Inter)mezzo, hosted by Nick Cave & Bob Faust at the Blind Barber, organized by Gertie Chicago, Chicago, IL
2023 | Artist Talk in relation to Expo Chicago at Gertie Chicago's event (Inter)mezzo held at The Blind Barber, Chicago, IL
2023 | Artist Talk relating to group show Skin + Masks; Kavi Gupta Gallery, Chicago IL
2023 | Artist Talk relating to group show The Ground Between Us; Heaven Gallery, Chicago IL
2023 | Press relating to cape designed for Miss Puerto Rico; Telemundo, El Nuevo Día, Miss Universe, San Juan PR
2022 | Graduate Noontime Lecture; School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago IL
2021 | Swell Wave; Artist Talk hosted by Montgomery College curator Gabrielle Tillenburg, Virtual
2021 | El Nuevo Día; Interview promoting Petrus Gallery Group Show “Celebration!”, San Juan PR
