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