Isabella Mellado (b. 1996, San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a visual artist based in Chicago, IL. Mellado’s work walks the line between Catholicism and occult spirituality. She is best known for her magical realist and tarot inspired paintings exploring her spirituality, latinidad and queer identity. She works across a wide range of media, including painting, photography, costume design, digital collage, and sculpture.
Mellado received her Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Rhode Island School of Design in 2018 and her Master of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2023. Her work has been featured in prominent art fairs such as Feria Material in Mexico City, The Ponce Biennial in Puerto Rico, Pulse Contemporary Art Fair in Miami, and MECA Art Fair in San Juan, PR. Additionally, her work has been exhibited at notable venues including the Bronx Museum in New York, NY, Museo de los Santos y Arte Nacional in San Juan, PR, National Museum of Puerto Rican Art and Culture in Chicago, IL, Kavi Gupta Gallery in Chicago, IL, Secrist | Beach in Chicago, IL, Walter Otero Contemporary Art in San Juan, PR, and Swivel Gallery in New York, NY.
About
Education
2023 | MFA in Painting & Drawing, School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)
2018 | BFA in Painting & Drawing, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
Solo exhibitions
2026 | Museo de los Santos y Arte Nacional: Entre Velos, San Juan, PR
2025 | Galeria La Cometa: Siete Pecados, Miami, FL
2025 | Feria Material vol. 11: Solo booth with Povos Gallery, Mexico City MX
2024 | Povos Gallery: Te Diré Quien Eres, Chicago IL
2023 | Youngarts Gallery: Desde el Charco, Miami FL
2023 | Walter Otero Contemporary Art: Isabella Mellado, San Juan, PR
Group exhibitions
2026 | Indiana University South Bend, Memories and Mindscapes, South Bend, IN
2025 | Secrist | Beach: Master Class, Chicago, IL
2024 | Walter Otero Contemporary Art: Inusuales, San Juan, PR
2024 | National Museum of Puerto Rican Art and Culture: Liminal, Chicago IL
2024 | Material Art Fair Vol. 10 with Swivel Gallery, Mexico City MX
2023 | Swivel Gallery: Botany of Desire, New York NY
2023 | Swivel Gallery: Hot Summer, New York NY
2023 | Bronx Museum: 2023 Gala + Silent Auction, New York, NY
2023 | Art in Common: Boil, Toil & Trouble, Chicago IL
2022 | Kavi Gupta Gallery: Skin + Masks, Chicago IL
2019 | MECA Art Fair with Samsøn Galllery, San Juan PR
2019 | Ponce Biennial: Biblioteca Municipal Mariana Suárez de Longo, Ponce PR
Grants, Fellowships & residencies
2025 | Fountainhead Arts, Artist in Residence, Miami, FL
2023 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Graduate Teaching Fellowship, Chicago, IL
2023 | Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Teacher Institute Fellowship, Chicago, IL
2019 | Vermont Studio Center, Artist in Residence, Johnson, VT
2018 | The Studios at Mass MoCA, Artist in Residence, North Adams, MA
2018 | Ox-Bow School of Art, Leroy Neiman Fellowship, Sagatuck, MI
2014 | Visual Arts Winner: Youngarts, New York, NY
Press
2026 | Puerto Rico Art News: ”Entre Velos", Isabella Mellado en el Museo de los Santos y Arte Nacional (MUSAN), San Juan, PR
2026 | Claridad PR: Entre Velos Según la Artista Isabella Mellado, San Juan, PR
2025 | Architectural Digest: Artistas latinoamericanos en la Feria Material Vol. 11, Mexico City, MX
2025 | Overstandard: All Eyes on Latin America, Copenhagen, DK
2025 | Vogue Mexico: Feria Material Vol. 11 en Art Week CDMX 2025: la guía completa, Mexico City, MX
2025 | Observer: Material and Salón ACME Open to Enthusiastic Crowds as Dealers Creatively Solve Customs Delays, London, UK
2025 | Whitewall: Material Art Fair Breaks Records with Latin American Representation, New York, NY
2025 | Colossal Magazine: Isabella Mellado Summons Sins and Desire in Her Tarot-Inspired Paintings, Chicago, IL
2024 | The New Examiner: Review on Te Diré Quién Eres by Annette LePique, Chicago, IL
2024 | Contorno Mexico: Isabella Mellado una Mística Moderna, interview with Cesar Rios, Mexico City, Mexico
2023 | Whitewall: Best Exhibitions in Miami 2023: Don’t Miss These Shows This Week, New York, NY
2023 | El Nuevo Día, Telemundo: Así se realizó la obra de arte en la capa del traje de baño de Ashley Ann Cariño, San Juan, PR
2023 | WAPA TV, Así fue el proceso de plasmar el arte en la capa de Ashley Cariño, San Juan, PR
2023 | WAPA TV, Arte de pintora puertorriqueña quedará plasmada en capa de Ashley Cariño, San Juan, PR
2023 | Primera Hora, ¿Qué mensaje tuvo la capa que usó Ashley Ann Cariño en la preliminar de Miss Universe?, San Juan, PR
Artist Talks & Features
2026 | Revista Plástica: Entre Velos | Isabella Mellado, San Juan, PR
2024 | Centro PR: Diasporican Art in Motion Artist Feature, New York, NY
2023 | Artsy: Nine of Swords (I am not my body), Bronx Museum of The Arts 2023 Gala + Silent Auction, New York, NY
2023 | Artist Talk and Tour of Brincando el Charco at the Youngarts Gallery with MoMa’s Latin American Collection founder Patricia Cisneros, Miami, FL
2023 | Featured Artist: Veuve Cliquot Brunch hosted by Commissioner during Miami Art Week, Miami, FL
2023 | Featured Artist: (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, organized by Gertie Chicago for their weekly Sunday event, (Inter)mezzo), 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
2021 | Swell Wave; Artist Talk hosted by Montgomery College curator Gabrielle Tillenburg, Virtual