Ariana Grande Collaboration
For the God is a Woman music video, Alexa painted on Ariana Grande’s body in a pool of paint, inspired by the Alexa // Sheila milk series. The video has over 400 million views on Youtube and, according to ELLE, “broke the internet.” In reaction to Alexa’s art, thousands of fans body painted themselves purple.
Album Art for God is a Woman
Alexa Meade painting Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande with stray paint strokes by Alexa Meade
Ariana Grande at Peace with Alexa
Ariana Grande in giant bath filled with paint, inspired by the Alexa Meade and Sheila Vand Milk series
Ariana Grande painted by Alexa Meade before the Abstract Bath
Behind the scenes with Ariana Grande on the set of the "God is a Woman" music video.
"If you, like me, have watched (and re-watched) Ariana Grande's "God Is a Woman" music video approximately 2 million times since it was released last week, then you, too, probably noticed Ari's scene-stealing body paint, created by artist Alexa Meade."
Thousands of Fans Make Tribute Art
“As it turns out, the video is inspiring a new wave of beauty looks inspired by the painterly body art on Ariana's chest and face. Now, on Instagram, makeup artists have begun to create Ariana-inspired looks using makeup. Blue and purple eyeshadow, eyeliner, and lipstick seem to be the hero products in most of these tutorials, with artists using them to draw swirls on their faces, chests, and arms.”
"Since the video, Grande (and Meade) fans have posted their own versions of the pool image, from painting themselves... wearing not much more than a few tastefully placed streaks of paint."
Looks Suspiciously Like a Vagina
When the “God is a Woman” music video came out, the internet was set ablaze with the conspiracy theory that Ariana Grande was swimming in something that looked “suspiciously like a vagina.” The internet was right. It was meant to look like a vagina.
Music video director Dave Meyers has asked Alexa Meade and Sheila Vand if they could create the effect of Ariana Grande being inside of a giant Georgia O’Keefe style vagina painting.
“gloriously heavy-handed, with overt vaginal imagery”
“One of the video's most iconic scenes features a nude, body-painted Ari swimming in a vagina-shaped pool of... primordial purple soup?
“Feminist media are praising singer Ariana Grande’s new single, God Is a Woman… God is not a woman.”
TED Interview
TED interviewed Alexa about what it was like to paint Ariana Grande. See the full interview on ideas.TED.com.
“Here, Meade takes us behind the scenes of her part in “God Is a Woman” and shares her biggest takeaways from this unique collaboration…
“Ariana had a lot of artistic input and frankly amusing ideas,” says Meade. While Meade typically covers all or most of her subjects’ exposed bodies with paint, the singer had a brainstorm at the video shoot. “Since Ariana’s skin tone played off the purple and gold well, she had the idea to let her skin show in between the brushstrokes, creating that contrast between her body and the paint,” says Meade. “That was something improvised in the moment, and it turned out beautifully.”
New Product Lines Inspired by the Art in the Music Video
After Alexa painted Ariana Grande in the abstract bath, a fan tweeted at Lush asking them to make a bath bomb so that they too could bathe in swirling shades of lavenders and blues. Lush listened and now people around the world are now taking purple baths in the style of “God is a Woman.”
With the wild success of Lush’s “Goddess” bath bomb, they extended the line to create a companion “Goddess” shower gel and perfume. Ariana then released her own line of purple bath products and perfume named “God is a Woman.”
Ariana also commissioned Alexa to hand paint bottles of “Cloud” perfume to gift to friends. Ariana has released a line of merch inspired by the painting, including a tie dyed face mask.
“The 'God Is A Woman' music video broke the internet. Starring a naked Ariana half submerged in a purple swirling marble-effect pool, the video immediately incited a new generation of bath bomb lovers. Bath and body pros Lush hopped on the hype by dropping their own 'God Is A Woman' bath bomb that recreated Ari's lavender pool. Needless to say, it sold out.”
More Tribute Art and Makeup Artistry
“Some of the most gorgeous imagery... striking, empowering.”
Original Inspiration from The Alexa Meade // Sheila Vand Milk Series
The imagery of Ariana Grande painted in an abstract bath for the “God is a Woman” music video was inspired by Alexa’s collaboration with performance artist Sheila Vand. Years before painting Ariana, Alexa painted Sheila submerged in a pool of milk, creating the effect of the paint melting off her body and swirling into the liquid canvas.
Alexa Meade originally painted Sheila Vand in a bath filled with milk
Head Trip by Alexa Meade and Sheila Vand
Mango Lassi by Alexa Meade and Sheila Vand
Mango Lassi behind the scenes - Sheila Vand painted by Alexa Meade
Activate by Alexa Meade and Sheila Vand
Hesitate behind the scenes of Alexa Meade painting Sheila Vand - photo by David Branson
Behind the scenes of the Alexa // Sheila MILK collaboration that inspired the art in "God is a Woman." Video by Shuttereye.
“It’s not all the time that popular, mainstream music and niche fine art come together as one, and that's why the release of Ariana Grande’s “God Is A Woman” video in July was so momentous.”
