biography
Paul X Walsh is New Zealand’s most prolific public artist, with a dozen murals and over 50 utility box artworks around the country. Born and raised in Rotorua, he has lived in Ngongotaha, Wellington and London, and is now based in Auckland. He has been working as a full-time artist since 2014, before which he held down a wide range of jobs – including website design, DJing, selling travel books, working in music stores, making sandwiches and washing dishes.
Paul works in a range of mediums, from spraypaint to watercolour. His art has been featured on multiple news websites and blogs – Newshub, My Modern Met, Laughing Squid, Central Leader, Canadian Broadcasting Company, the front page of Reddit and CNN’s Headline News, amongst others.
He spends his time working on a wide range of commercial, public and private commissions, playing vintage video games, and going on bushwalks with his two young children.
paulwalsh.co.nz | @paulxwalsh on Instagram | Paul X. Walsh on Facebook
EXHIBITIONS
- FAUNA
Gallery 108, Ironbank Building
July 2015 - They Came from Mt Roskill
Rebel Yell Gallery
June 2011
PRESS
- New Zealand Artist Turns Boring Utility Boxes Into Works Of Art
deMilked
June 2018 - Public’s favourite power box designs in Rotorua’s central city announced
Rotorua Daily Post / NZ Herald
January 2018 - NZ’s Banksy, Paul Walsh, turns street art into full-time career
Newshub
July 2017 - Artist Paul Walsh on how he’s not New Zealand’s Banksy, turning a passion into a career and the fickleness of social media
Idealog
July 2017 - Artist Decorates Utility Boxes With Cool Animal Art
Cheezburger
September 2017 - Paul Walsh paints delightful creatures on utility boxes
BoingBoing.net
July 2017 - Artist paints incredible Chris Cornell tribute mural on Auckland Rockshop’s wall
1 News (TVNZ)
May 2017 - Paul Walsh’s new Mural at Grey Lynn Community Centre
Ponsonby News
August 2016 - Artist Paul Walsh on giving power to the people (through cats and spaceman sloths)
This NZ Life
August 2016 - Auckland Street Artist Makes the Boring Beautiful
Story (TV3 News)
August 2015 - Paul Walsh’s New Mural At Grey Lynn Community Centre (page 19)
Ponsonby News
August 2015 - Brightening the streets one meme at a time
StopPress
August 2015 - Meet the Painter Turning His City’s Drab Utility Boxes Into Internet-Inspired Works of Art
GOOD Magazine
August 2015 - These 16 Utility Boxes Were Made Awesome By Graffiti Art
College Humor
August 2015 - Guy Paints Utility Boxes in New Zealand and they Look Really Amazing
Elite Readers
August 2015 - World’s best job? This guy paints epic internet memes onto utility boxes in NZ
Lost at E Minor
August 2015 - ‘Hipster Cat’ and Internet pals jazz up utility boxes
Mother Nature Network
July 2015 - Artist Given Permission to Paint Utility Boxes Around His City and They Are Awesome
SneakHype
July 2015 - Auckland’s Utility Boxes Get Graffiti Makeover
Amusing Planet
July 2015 - Utility Boxes by Paul Walsh
Scraper Magazine
July 2015 - I Have Been Given Permission To Paint Utility Boxes In My City
Bored Panda
July 2015 - City in New Zealand has some sweet utility boxes
The Chive
July 2015 - Artist Transforms New Zealand’s Utility Boxes with Graffiti
My Modern Met
January 2014 - Street Artist Creates Wonderful Paintings on Telephone Utility Boxes in Auckland, New Zealand
The Wondrous Design Magazine
January 2014 - Artist Paul Walsh Jazzes Up an Everyday Public Staple for Locals
TrendHunter Art & Design
January 2014 - New Zealand’s Utility Boxes Get Dolled Up
Incredible Things
January 2014 - Utility Boxes as Canvases For Public Art
The Atlantic Cities
January 2014 - New Zealand Artist Creates Eye-Catching Public Art On Auckland’s Utility Boxes
George Strouomboulopoulus Tonight (CBC – Radio-Canada)
January 2014 - Street Artist Creates Wonderful Paintings on Telephone Utility Boxes in Auckland, New Zealand
Laughing Squid
January 2014 - Urban Van Gogh paints outside the (utility) box
HLN TV (Formerly CNN’s Headline News)
December 2013 - Astro-Sloth Rises
Neatorama
November 2013 - Grumpy cat comeback?
Central Leader
August 2013 - Grumpy cat may smile
Central Leader
July 2013 - Grumpy Cat gets rubbed out
Central Leader
May 2013 - They Came From Mt Roskill
Invurt.com
June 2011 - Our favourite: Paul Walsh
NZGirl Magazine
December 2010