Alexa Meade is an award-winning artist who paints on the human body and three-dimensional spaces, creating the illusion that our reality is a two-dimensional painting.
Ruby June Glamour - Painted by Alexa Meade - Photo by Ruby June
Ariana Grande painted by Alexa Meade for God is a Woman
Blueprint Installation painted by Alexa Meade
Transit of a Man on the DC Metro painted by Alexa Meade
Shae's lips painted by Alexa Meade - Photo by Mike Monaghan
Bold Enough to Wait painted by Alexa Meade - Model Noel Batiste
Lola painted by Alexa Meade - Model B Justine Jaime
Groove It painted by Alexa Meade - Model Alli Harvard
Natural Intrigue painted by Alexa Meade
Shelli Lether in Red painted by Alexa Meade, photo by Ruby June
Art Crossing the Street painted by Alexa Meade
Broadway Costume Designer, Emilio Sosa, Painted by Alexa Meade - Photo by Mike Monaghan
“Awash with colorful brushstrokes, think of it as a van Gogh — that is, if one of his paintings were brought to life as a performative protest… lushly hypnotic”
About the Artist
Alexa Meade’s artwork has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery, Art Basel, and on a SpaceX rocket orbiting the Earth. Over 100,000 people came to her solo show on Fifth Avenue in NYC. Alexa painted pop star Ariana Grande for her iconic “God is a Woman” music video which has over 400 million views.
She has lectured about her groundbreaking artwork at TED, Apple, Stanford, and Princeton. She has been honored with the "Disruptive Innovation Award" by the Tribeca Film Festival and has been Artist-in-Residence at The World Trade Center, Google, and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.
Ariana Grande Collaboration
For the “God is a Woman” music video, Alexa Meade 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.
“The 'God Is A Woman' music video broke the internet.”
Color of Reality
The critically acclaimed short film Color of Reality brings together Alexa Meade’s painting style with the movement artistry of dancers Lil Buck and Jon Boogz to explore themes of police brutality and racial injustice. Color Of Reality was screened at the Lincoln Center, honored with CNN’s “Art as Impact Award,” and included in the National Civil Rights Museum’s “Freedom Awards Ceremony.”
"When art and activism come together... artists use their work to highlight, interrogate, and illuminate issues in the world... People who’ve watched 'Color of Reality'... [have] been exposed to a kind of art form that many of them might never have encountered."
Collaborations
Alexa has been Artist-in-Residence at the World Trade Center, Google, and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. She has collaborated with the family of Frida Kahlo and magicians David Blaine and Zach King.
World Trade Center Artist-in-Residence, Alexa Meade
David Blaine spitting out a fish underwater after being painted by Alexa Meade - Photo by Andreas Poupoutsis
Google Light Stage Sphere
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
“Meade's ‘fearlessness’ was vital to the project: She’s not one to shy away from asking questions, which created a wonderful synergy between the creative and scientific thought processes… It highlighted that ideas and perceptions are alive – and they are most alive when we challenge them.”
Installations
Alexa has created art installations at high profile experiential events around the world including Adidas during Coachella, Meta at Cannes Lions, Apple at their Fifth Avenue flagship, Dreamforce in San Francisco, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, BMW in China, and Mini Cooper in Tokyo.
“No other artist is creating work quite like Alexa Meade and she… is a master at creating a particular illusion: making our three-dimensional reality look two-dimensional. Her work throws a wrench in how the human brain perceives the world.”
Wonderland Dreams on Fifth Avenue
For her Wonderland Dreams solo exhibition, Alexa took over the former Best Buy flagship store on Fifth Avenue, NYC and transformed the 26,000 sq ft space into a magical 2D/3D painted world. It was one of New York City’s top-rated art exhibits and saw over 100,000 visitors.
Elijah Hollingsworth in Wonderland Dreams by Alexa Meade - Photo by Phoebe Smolan
Noelle McGraw inWonderland Dreams by Alexa Meade - Photo by Ruby June
Jill and Frieda Braha in Wonderland Dreams by Alexa Meade - Photo by Ruby June
”Meade similarly invites her audiences to engage performatively, choosing from multitudes of props and hand-painted jackets, coats, and hats, that paint us into her canvas.”
Public Speaking
Alexa is a TED Speaker and has lectured at Apple, Google, Stanford University, and Princeton University.
“Alexa Meade takes an innovative approach to art. Not for her a life of sketching and stretching canvases. Instead, she selects a topic and then paints it - literally. In this eye-opening talk Meade shows off photographs of some of the more outlandish results.”
A Real Life Proposal
When one of Alexa Meade’s painted models got down on one knee in the middle of the street, his girlfriend had no idea that he was about to ask for her hand in marriage.
“The cutest thing you will see today”
Other Projects
For fun, Alexa has turned her home into a funhouse, invented toys with the legendary creator of Tickle Me Elmo, and designed a painted ball gown to wear on the red carpet of the Venice International Film Festival.
Alexa Meade painting Stefan Thomas's Bowtie on the Red Carpet at the Premiere of Ferrari at the Venice Film Festival - Photo by Getty Images
I got my security deposit back - Painting by Alexa Meade
Art Arcs by Alexa Meade - Photo by Ruby June
“Alexa Meade encourages guests to wake up their inner children and treat this installation like an adult playhouse.”
Being Written into History
Alexa’s groundbreaking approach to portraiture is making history, quite literally, being written into art history textbooks around the world. Google selected Alexa for their Faces of Frida campaign, as the female painter alive today who exemplifies the spirit of one of the most important female artists in history, Frida Kahlo.
“Meade captures Kahlo’s spirit of unique self-expression; as a one-of-her-kind artist… Meade boldly paints Frida Kahlo’s legacy into the present day.”
