Paul Oz

They say you often learn lessons in life the hard way, yet for Paul Oz his off the cuff remark actually turned out to be the catalyst for becoming the person he went on to become. Professionally-speaking, anyway. While most people might live to regret saying something along the lines of, “I could do that!” (a sentence often finished with, “only better!”), for the – now – critically acclaimed contemporary fine artist, Paul Oz, there was no regrets. The situation we refer to was the time when Oz was browsing art galleries with a view to finding something suitable to hang from the wall of his new des res. And clearly unimpressed with what he saw at the time, alternatively set about creating his own, more personal art. Harnessing the power of a 4-pack of acrylic paints, Oz quickly reminded himself of just how much he had enjoyed throwing himself into painting all manner of stuff as a youngster. At a time and a place (Cambridgeshire) where the young Oz would ape Monet’s style which even gained him recognition/a prize at school.

Oz’s reconnection with his art-loving formative years proceeded to gather momentum, at least during his spare time; and when he wasn’t brand developing software, which was his then calling in life/career. Putting on his debut gallery show back in 2008, Oz captured the hearts and minds of so many folk whose lives were emotionally enriched by what they saw/purchased/commissioned him to do thereafter, that just 2 years later the would-be professional contemporary portrait artist-of-sorts turned his back on the software industry and opted to make a go of his painterly endeavours then and there. And as he readily admits, since 2010, he’s been publicly in demand pretty much around the clock.

Freely admitting he isn’t what you might refer to as a traditionalist in his approach or application to his own art, Oz routinely seeks out raw responses from his critics and fan-base; with visual impact being his compositional driver. Or the ‘wow factor’ as it’s often called, and more specifically, the three ‘E’s’s. That’ll be ‘explosive energy’ and ‘expression’; all of which are clearly conveyed even from the most cursory of glances at his signature works. Choosing to facilitate thick oils for the most part, Oz concedes to getting through a lot of the stuff, which happens when you construct layers of it up to 2cm thick in places. Oz has also started experimenting with homemade neon paints of late too, which once again changes perspectives. On that very note, Oz recalls once been told that his work almost appeared photorealistic from a distance. Only to have it subsequently described as looking like porridge when up close. Some back-handed compliment that is, yet Oz loves it.

If there’s one subject matter which Oz is arguably more keenly associated with today, then it’s one of his pet loves, motorsport. Indeed, as much as 50% of his work tends to be of this graphic ilk, and he particularly enjoys immersing himself in Formula One-themed pictorial pursuits. Think along the visual lines of commissions fulfilled for the likes of the Instituto Ayrton Senna, Jenson Button, Max Chilton, James Hunt’s family, Red Bull, Pirelli, Monster Energy and Jake Humphrey among others and you begin to get a flavour of what Oz is about. In addition to this he’s also partnered with galleries, charitable organisations, leading rights holders and motorsport teams worldwide as he’s sought to make a name for himself in this arena too. This association has brought about creative opportunities with and at the Monaco GP, Singapore GP, Mexico GP, Playboy Club London, Selfridges Oxford St, Harrods, Goodwood Festival of Speed to name drop but a few.

When he’s not actively engaged in F1-derived stuff, the Oz might well be found rediscovering his own youth. The one we touched on above, and which also included movies and inordinate amounts of Lego. Only more pertinently aspects to do with Star Wars and other cinematic stuff Oz grew up with. We say cinematic, but truth be told it was more to do with the fact that it was the only film he had on VHS video back then. Recalling this period further, he vividly remembers his 10th birthday and a trip to the pictures to see the Empire Strikes Back. Fast forward a few decades and today Oz is the (very) proud owner of a life-size Stormtrooper in the hallway of his home. Taking childhood themes and creatively running with them, Oz’s 2015 London show was called, perhaps unsurprisingly, ‘80’s Kid’, and explored this concept to even greater levels, visually focusing on how most of the things he grew up with were systematically loved, played with, broke, idolised or was scared by the presence of. The rest – both before and after – is biographical history, for the record.