Lee Ellis

Lee Ellis is a British multi-media artist based in Bristol.

His insatiable desire to create leads him to embrace different artistic mediums, from printmaking to drawing and painting and his bold and expressive style is characterised by the unusual juxtaposition of bright colours and dark subjects.

Ellis’s paintings typically convey a visceral and deep-seated angst within his figures, and his raw, expressive brushstrokes make his style poignant and immediately affecting. In his most recent work however the depth of emotion is tempered by wit and originality. His ‘Imposter’ collection made a huge impact, and he has followed this with a host of creative new styles and ideas inspired by royalty, superheroes, iconic design and more, all delivered in his compelling contemporary voice.

“I like to use the human face as my subject, but in a way it acts as a vessel for my experimentation”, he says. “The person I’m painting typically becomes irrelevant as I use their features to hold the paint and the work evolves with every layer of colour.”

Painting in a mixture of oils, spray paints and charcoals Ellis is a natural experimenter, fascinated by the effects and versatility of different mediums and the opportunities they offer for uniquene...

Degree in Graphic Design - University of the West of England

Art Foundation - Stroud Art College

Solo shows
Appetite for Disruption
March 2022
Old Bank Vault, London
Paintings with names
September 2020
Art Pistol Gallery, Glasgow
Work in progress
January 2020 Square Club
Pretty Ugly
October 2019
Art Pistol Gallery, Glasgow
Show No.31
September - October 2016 Play Dead Gallery, Portsmouth
It’s Not Me, It’s You
September - October 2014 UPfest Gallery, Bristol
Physitaland
September 2023 Weple Gallery, Seoul
Group opening show
July 2023
Gallery 505, Portsmouth, VA
Battersea Affordable Art Fair
March 2023
Battersea Affordable Art Fair
Winter show
December 2022 Art Pistol, Glasgow
Gifted
November 2022
Oink Gallery, Swindon
Battersea Affordable Art Fair
March 12th - 15th 2020 Battersea Affordable Art Fair
Figure It Out
May 2018
Leontia Gallery, London
Semblance
July - August 2017
Well Hung Gallery, London
Creative Debut X Bond Dickinson
Feb - May 2017
Bond Dickinson, Bristol
Common People
November 2016 - January 2017 1 Clove Crescent, London
Tribe 16
September 30th - October 2nd Chrom Art Pop Up, London
Scratching The Surface
May - June 2016
Lacey Gallery, London
Exhibit Here, Summer Show
July - August 2016 Menier Gallery, London
New Visions V
June - Aug 2015 Grant Bradley, Bristol
Southbank Bristol Arts Trail
May 2015 UPfest, Bristo...