Velia De Iuliis, is a San Francisco native. Her paintings predominantly reflect her fascination with symmetry seen in nature in contrast to the chaos that can be found in an urban world. She received her BFA in illustration from the California College of the Arts in 2013.
RESILIENCE
Velia De Iuliis works from a standpoint of preservation. Her rich gouache & oil paintings pop with endangered plants on sharp backgrounds. By giving these threatened species new life on the canvas, De Iuliis reinvigorates admiration and refocuses attention on the fleeting flowers that may disappear completely in our lifetime. More than a floral painter, De Iuliis uses her art as a call to action and the paintings live on as time capsules. Because these plants are still surviving in their fragmented environments, the works act as a celebration as well as a resource.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work reflects what has fascinated me throughout my life. Themes of symmetry and patterns found in nature as well as nature itself are the avenues that both inspire and captivate me. Science, philosophy and art are tightly bound but to better understand humanity I have to first understand the natural world we live in. History shows us that humanity can be destructive; at times unpredictable, disloyal, selfish and cruel. I continue to find peace and hope within the natural world where instinct is unwavering and questions are answered. In choosing to paint flora and fauna, nature never ceases to fascinate me. Following my instinct, I don’t plan my pieces; instead I first find facts that captivate my attention such as the complexity and lineage of a species but sometimes its their sheer beauty that inspires. I hope that my paintings portray the wonder and constant curiosity I have for this special world, a world where creatures help me to better understand humanity.
PROJECTS
Gallery Affiliations •
Ochi Projects, LA
Ochi Gallery, Sun Valley, ID
Residency Program:
2019 Lincoln Residency, Bisbee, AZ
Solo Exhibitions:
2023 Perspection, Ochi Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2017 Resilience, Ochi Gallery, Sun Valley, ID
2016 As the Crow Flies, Ochi Gallery, Sun Valley, ID
2016 The Riddle of the Universe, Artist Republic 4 Tomorrow Gallery Laguna Beach, CA
Art Fair:
2023 Intersect Art and Design - Ochi Projects, Aspen, CO
2023 Dallas Art Fair - Ochi Projects, Dallas, TX
Group Exhibitions:
2022 Wish You Were Here - Ochi Gallery, Sun Valley, ID
2021 Botany of Desire - Palette Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2021 Botanic Rituals Exhibit - Radian Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2019 A La Prochaine - Maeght Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2017 Circus, Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea Gallery, Milan, Italy
2016 Muses of Mount Helikon, Helikon Gallery, Denver, CO
2016 Women of the New Contemporary, Brandstater Gallery, Riverside, CA
2016 LA Art Fair, Artist Republic 4 Tomorrow Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2016 Plenty, Athen B. Gallery, Oakland, CA
2015 Imagine Bus Project - San Francisco, CA
2015 Into the Woods, Maeght Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Projects:
2021 A Bounty of California Natives, SOMA West Mural Commission, San Francisco, CA
2021 Flora, The Motoring Club Mural Commission, Los Angeles, CA
2021 Eir NYC x Velia Artist series collaboration, Los Angeles, CA
2021 Better Booch Artist series Collaboration - Los Angeles, CA
2021 Juicy B Restaurant Mural commission - Los Angeles, CA
2021 Mural commission - Parma, IT - tbd
2020 Public Art mural commission by the city of Daily City - Daily City, CA
2020 Private mural commission - Bay Area, CA
2019-20 RVCA artist network - clothing line collaboration
2019 Border Arts Corridor- Mexico American border mural commission
2019 Mural commission, Palette SF - San Francisco, CA
2018 Long Table Collective - ceramics collaboration
2018 Painting for private collection - Puerto Rico
2018 Painting for Palette Restaurant, San Francisco, CA
2017 Dolby Artist Series, Dolby HQ, San Francisco, CA
2017 Painting for Junior Bar, San Francisco, CA
2017 Guest artist, Discovery Museum, Marin, CA
2017 Book Cover Art for ‘The General in His Labyrinth’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Libri
Mondadori, IT
2016 Book Cover Art for ‘Of love and Other Demons’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Libri
Mondadori, IT
2016 Book Cover Art for ‘One hundred Years of Solitude’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Libri
Mondadori, IT
2016 Book Cover Art for ‘Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Libri
Mondadori, IT
2016 Intertwined Iguanas, 20 foot painting, La Playa, Mill Valley, CA
2016 Mural Project, Women of the New Contemporary, Brandstater Gallery, Riverside, CA
2015 Mural Project, PandeaSeed Foundation Seawalls, Cozumel, Mexico
2015 Mural Project, Bottlerock Music Festival, Napa Valley, CA
Publications:
The Motoring Journal, ‘Velia De Iuliis,’ 2021
Banana Republic Journal, ‘Velia De Iuliis,’ 2021
BetterBooch, ‘Velia De Iuliis,’ 2021
Shoutout LA, ‘Velia De Iuliis,’ 2021
Walnut Creek Journal, ‘Murals Brings Color, Beauty to Downtown,’ 2020
Greenpacha Blog, ‘Velia De Iuliis,’ 2020
Bella Dahl, ‘Bella Muses,’ 2020
RVCA blog, ‘Painting Demo,’ 2020
Haoma Journal, ‘Fleeting flowers,’ 2020
Voyage LA, ‘Meet Velia De Iuliis,’ 2019
Daily Gem Blog, ‘#DAILYROUTINE: VELIA DE IULIIS,’ 2019
Ochi Gallery, ’Resilience,’ 2018
Boise Weekly, ‘Resilience,’ 2018
Ochi Gallery, ‘As the Crow Flies,’ 2016
Fructose, ‘Velia De Iuliis’ Colorful Gouache Paintings Inspired by Nature’, Caro, 2016
OCWeekly, ‘The Riddle of the Universe’, Aimee Murillo, 2016
Vans ‘Off the Wall’ Girls, ‘The Riddle of the Universe’, Amanda Rae Stephens, 2016
San Francisco Chronicle, ‘Artist called upon nature for ‘Into the Woods,’ Kimberly Chun, 2016
Blisss Magazine, ‘Art/Velia De Iuliis/The Riddle of the Universe’, 2016
The Orange County Register, ‘Velia De Iuliis: The Riddle of the Universe’, 2016
Gallery welcomes group art show, ‘Women of the New Contemporary’ Darla Martin Tucker, 2016
The Press Enterprise, ‘Riverside: La Sierra exhibition features works by 31 women’, Laurie Lucas, 2016
Preview and Save the Date for ‘Women of the New Contemporary’ Cartwheel Art, Cindy Schwarzstein, 2016
Stu News Laguna, ‘Artist Republic Gallery Presents Velia De Iuliis’, 2016
Vans ‘Off the Walls’ Girls, ‘Kick-Ass Chicks: Velia De Iuliis’, Amanda Rae Stephens, 2015