PauL
Williams
Media:
Illustration
Studio Location:
Vital Art Studios 50-14 Skillman Ave, SUnnyside, NY 11377, United States
Room/Studio#
7
Website:
Artist Bio:
Paul Williams is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice includes oil painting, reduction woodcut, and autobiographical comics. His work often begins with direct observation and builds around a moment that feels emotionally true—whether serene, anxious, humorous, or hard to name.
He studied art at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, The University of Pennsylvania, and The Art Students League of New York. His paintings and illustrations have received recognition including an Honorable Mention for the Benjamin West Prize for Painting (2005). His recent autobiographical mini comic was published in an anthology at the Art Students League.
Paul’s work is shaped by a broad range of influences—from Richard Diebenkorn and David Park to Ralph Steadman, Lucian Freud, and the Impressionists—but equally by a desire to sidestep the pretension that can surround fine art. He makes work for those who are willing to pause, look closely, and maybe feel something unexpected
Artist Statement:
I make art as a way of telling the truth—sometimes beautiful, sometimes uncomfortable, but always searching. Whether I’m working in oil paint, reduction woodcut, or autobiographical comics, the process usually begins with one honest thing: a feeling, a shadow, a gesture. From there, I try to build outward toward something complete.
My work is shaped by a need to express what’s real—especially moments of serenity or anxiety that might otherwise pass unnoticed. In painting, I work from life. In comics, I try to capture an idea as well as a feeling. Either way, I hope what I make gives the viewer something in return—a memory, a pause, a moment that feels familiar.
I've always made images, but I’ve been making art since I was thirteen. It’s not always a joy or a passion; sometimes it feels more like an act of excretion. But when something feels finished—when it rings true—there’s a kind of peace. Right now, I’m following that feeling, one piece at a time.