About the Artist- Lewis Vincent Pell
Artist Bio
Lewis V Pell was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He attended Pittsburgh Public Schools and graduated from Barack Obama Academy of International Studies High School in 2012. In 2016, Lewis earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies with minors in Biology and Geology from the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown. Subsequently, in 2020, he obtained a Master of Sustainability from Chatham University, specializing in Ecology and Resource Management.
Encouraged from an early age to explore his passion for the arts, Lewis developed a profound appreciation for the environment and artistic self-expression through painting. As a self-taught artist, with an increasing awareness of environmental issues, he officially began painting on canvas in 2017 when commissioned to create a beach landscape for private viewing. To date, Lewis has produced over 600 paintings, selling more than 300 pieces, and continues to learn and grow through each new work.
In 2023, Lewis gained curatorial experience by organizing several solo and group exhibitions throughout Pittsburgh, PA, USA. That same year, he was selected as a Deep Ecology Residency Artist with the United Plant Savers Organization in Rutland, Ohio, USA, where two of his pieces were acquired for their private collection. Lewis was accepted into the Pittsburgh Society of Artists in Spring 2023. Additionally, in Fall 2023, he attended the Chateau Orquevaux Artist & Writers Residency in France as an Emerging Residency Artist and recipient of the Denis Diderot Grant and the Emerging Artist Grant. Two of his works were included in the Permanent Collection of Chateau d’Orquevaux International Artists & Writers Collection, displayed in the Galerie Diderot Chateau Orquevaux, France. In Fall 2024, Lewis was selected for a two-week artist residency with Nocefresca in Sardinia, Italy. In Spring 2025, he participated in the Atelier Artist Residency at Chateau de Cerisay in Assé-le-Boisne, France for a two-week duration. Where in the Summer of 2025 Lewis was accepted into the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh.
Artist Statement
A painter with an ecological background, Lewis find inspiration everywhere in life. His work may be described as between contemporary landscapes and surrealism. The work presented here is representation of Lewis’s diverse range.
Although his background has prominence in his work, influences come from an array of sources whether it’s pop culture, literature, history, science or what have you, although the greatest influence has been nature and his surrounding landscape. He focuses on techniques that emphasize use of color, layering, and the portrayal of light, which reflect a greater portion of pieces.
When viewed, audiences should experience an account of places he has been, as well as understand the stories he is venturing to tell. Not only does he aim to preserve scenes of an ever-changing environment, but he wishes to also express the interconnectedness which tethers issues and topics that encompass societies across the world.