About the artist
Isabella Mellado is a painter native to San Juan, Puerto Rico. 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 and tarot. She works in a wide range of media including painting, photography, costume design, digital collage and sculpture.
Her work has been featured at Kavi Gupta Gallery in Chicago, IL; Walter Otero Contemporary Art in San Juan, PR; Pulse Contemporary Art Fair in Miami, FL; The Ponce Biennial in Ponce, PR and MECA Art Fair in San Juan, PR, among others. Mellado has also completed residency at Ox-Bow in Saugatuck, MI, the Studios at Mass MoCA in North Adams, MA and the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT.
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
2023 | Awarded Residency at Ox Bow, Saugatuck, MI
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
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
2023 | Isabella Mellado, Walter Otero Contemporary Art
2022 | Ingress, SAIC Incubator Space
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
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
