Paul J. Riley | Agora Gallery Represented Artist

PJ R

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530 West 25th Street, New York, NY

It was a mighty banyan tree in Grenada, quietly resting by the shores of a Caribbean lagoon, that first sparked Paul Riley’s desire to paint. The clear line of the horizon and the undulating silhouette of the peninsula opposite his house inspired his first series of paintings. Living by the ocean, surrounded by tropical vegetation, he witnessed the richness and munificence of nature, while at the same time its inherent fragility. Most of his paintings have an element of fertility or creation in them, either as bumps, embryos, or food chains, resting on the idea that “everything relies on everything else,” as Riley likes to put it.

The primary subject of his work is the very tree that ignited his artistic passion; a microcosm enshrining ecosystems of flora and fauna. Teeming with life, his trees are inhabited by a myriad of creatures and spirit animals, whose eyes peer through the foliage and trunk, curiously or at times minaciously. Riley defines his style as “Natural Constructivism” in deference to the greater building blocks of creation, the structures underlying the formation of animals and plants. In his work, he strives for perfect symmetry, as a way to reverse the chaos that is inherently present in the world. Using the limited supplies he finds on the island, he digitally elaborates his original painting back onto a canvas primed with orange gesso and then continues to modify it with acrylic and spray paint. His primary influences are Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art. Riley has worn many hats in his life. After graduating from the former London’s Royal College of Art, he enjoyed a successful career as an industrial designer.

Most notably, he designed and manufactured a plastic spoon for Häagen-Dazs, keyrings for fashion legend Vivienne Westwood, and had one of his drawings featured in the permanent collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. After a spell as a rock musician and a property remodeler, he moved from the UK to Grenada, where he devotes himself entirely to painting.

V I E W PJ R I L E Y O N A G O R A G A L L E RY

CREATION THEORY: Birth of an IDEA, 2021 Acrylic & Spraypaint on Canvas 60” x 50”

$ 3 0 0 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

CREATION THEORY: Orb in Creation Haze, 2021 Acrylic & Spraypaint on Canvas 48” x 54” $ 3 0 0 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

CREATION THEORY: Afro Angel, 2020 Acrylic on Canvas 54” x 48” $ 3 0 0 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

FOREST KINGS: Mother Nature, 2021 Digital Art and Acrylic on Canvas 44” x 40” $ 3 0 0 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

FOREST KINGS: Ghost Tree, 2020 Giclee Print on Paper 16” x 20”

Limited Edition of 80 $ 2 5 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

FOREST KINGS: Parenting (red), 2021 Giclee Print on Paper 24” x 24” Limited Edition of 80 $ 2 5 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

FOREST KINGS: Tigers Bees and Manatees, 2021 Digital Art and Acrylic on Canvas 20” x 20” $ 1 5 0 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

FOREST KINGS: The Third Eye, 2020 Giclee Print on Paper 24” x 24” Limited Edition of 80 $ 2 5 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

MOTHERHOOD: Golden Journey (diptych), 2019 Acrylic & Oil on Canvas 18” x 28”

$ 1 2 5 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

NO CONCEPT OF BLACK/WHITE: Ballerina Girls, 2019 Acrylic on Canvas 16” x 12” $ 9 0 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

MOTHERHOOD: Our Golden Journey, 2020 Acrylic on Canvas 20” x 16” $ 9 0 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

FOREST KINGS: A Bear, Owl, Butterflies and Wolves, 2021 Acrylic & Spraypaint on Canvas 50” x 60” $ 3 0 0 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

INFINITY: A Cheerful Painting About Death (and everyone you’ll meet there), 2021 Acrylic & Spraypaint on Canvas 36” x 54”

$ 3 0 0 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

CREATION THEORY: We are all Floating in an Unformed Space (green), 2020 Digital Art and Acrylic on Canvas 59” x 48” $ 3 0 0 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

CREATION THEORY: The Doors We Choose, 2021 Acrylic, Oil & Ink on Canvas 54” x 48” $ 3 0 0 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

FOREST KINGS: Bat Eared Fox and Friends, 2021 Acrylic & Spraypaint on Canvas 48” x 48” $ 3 0 0 0 – B U Y O N A RT-M I N E.C O M

I live in Grenada where the sky meets the sea, tucked away along a lagoon, across a peninsula with a perfect curve. The majestic banyan tree in my backyard was my first artistic inspiration. Working primarily with acrylics, spray paints, and image editing software, I express the richness and diversity of the natural kingdom, while at the same time revealing its fragility and ever-changing flow. The trees I depict are microcosms enshrining ecosystems of flora and fauna. Teeming with life, they are inhabited by a myriad of creatures and spirit animals: ear-batted foxes, dogs, cats, crabs, owls, whose eyes peer through the foliage and trunk, curiously or at times minaciously. My art is influenced by the animistic belief that plants, objects, and natural phenomena possess a distinct spiritual essence. I define my style as “Natural Constructivism” in deference to the greater building blocks of creation, the structures underlying the formation of animals and plants. In my work, I strive for perfect symmetry, as a way to reverse the chaos that is inherently present in the world. My paintings are postcards, messages of hope, with occasional ridiculous touches to remind us not to take life too seriously.

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