John Malta was born in East Cleveland, Ohio and is currently living and working in New York City where he is completing an MFA at the School of Visual Arts.
He has exhibited his work in New York City, Taiwan, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, and widely across the Midwest- and has been self-publishing zines of his drawings for as long as he can remember. Malta transforms the simplicities of his daily life and past memories of murky Ohio creeks, house punk shows, and pet lizards into Super Nintendo nightmares: the wildly colorful yet dingy expressions of another reality.
John is also a contributing writer to the Los Angeles based contemporary arts publication Beautiful/Decay.
Partial Client List// The New York Times, Blood is the New Black, The Stranger, Willamette Week, Surfing Magazine, Open Season NYC, Dickies, Emeht Agency, Broken Pencil Magazine, Discorder Magazine, Bachelor Records, Print Magazine, Land's End Canvas
Education//
SVA. MFA. Illustration as Visual Essay. 2010 - 2012
CCAD. BFA. Illustration. 2006 - 2010
Awards//
"Be Safe My Little Viking" series awarded the Bronze Medal in 3 x 3 student annual. 2011.
Exhibitions//
2011
"Fit to Print", Discorder Magazine Group Exhbition at Interurban Gallery, Vancouver, BC
"Taipei World Design Expo 2011", Group Exhibition at TWTC Exhibition Hall, Taiwan
"The Book Show", SVA MFA Illustration Group Show at Visual Arts Gallery, NYC
"All Hallows Eve II", Group Exhibition at Gallery 831, Columbus, Ohio
"Dinosaurs", Prehistory themed Group Show at The Outpost, NYC
"Revibe", Group Exhibition at Gallery 831, Columbus, Ohio
"Shut the Door", Duo Show with Daniel Fishel at Paradigm Gallery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
"Balls Out", Group Show at Grasshut Gallery, Portland, Oregon
"Decay", Group Show at Junctionview Studios, Columbus, Ohio
"Ostracon", SVA MFA Illustration Group Show at Visual Arts Gallery, NYC
"This Might Be It", Group Show at Skylab Gallery, Columbus, Ohio
2010
"Post It!", Group Show at Giant Robot 2, Los Angeles, California
"Psychedelic Summer", Group Show & Pop Up Shop at Rare Gallery, NYC
"The Delusion of Eating", Group Show at The Shelf, Columbus, Ohio
"Penny Pinch", Group Show at Mahan Gallery, Columbus, Ohio
"What's the Big Idea", Group Show with Apak, Jeremy Tinder, and Mike Perry at Double Punch, SF, California
"All Hallows Eve I", Group Show at Gallery 831, Columbus, Ohio
"Fantastic Morphology", Group Show at Skylab Gallery, Columbus, Ohio
"Fashion Over Fungus", Solo Exhibition at Kickstart Cafe, Columbus Ohio
"Candygram!", Group Show at The Shelf Gallery, Columbus, Ohio
2009
"Migrate", Group Show at Lift Gallery, Detroit, Michigan
"Reset", Group Show at Root Art Center, Mt. Vernon, Ohio
"Be Safe My Little Viking", Solo Exhibition at Skylab Gallery, Columbus, Ohio
Group Mural at Magnolia Thunderpussy Records, Columbus, Ohio
"Cool Tricks", Group Show at Chop Chop Gallery, Columbus, Ohio
"Biggie Smalls", Group Show at Junctionview Studios, Columbus, Ohio
"Black Sail", Mural and Group show at Acock Gallery, Columbus Ohio
2008
"F@&*ing Life", Group Show at Spore Print Info Shop, Columbus, Ohio
"Agora", Group Show at Junctionview Studios, Columbus, Ohio