Chris Buzelli


Chris Buzelli is an American illustrator. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Buzelli's works are described as surreal, often dramatically lit and depicting parallel universes where enormous creatures, real and imagined, share the stage with miniature figures. In 2020, Buzelli received the Hamilton King Award which is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in illustration.

Early life and education

Born and raised in Chicago Heights, his mother was a nurse and his father a machinist working in the steel and glass factories. Buzellis's parents divorced when he was five years old. After the divorce, his mother moved the artist and his sister, Tina into Section 8 housing.
Buzelli's grandfather ran a television-repair shop, where the artist and his sister Tina stayed on weekends.
His grandfather encouraged him to learn to paint. Every weekend, starting when Buzelli was six years old, the grandfather and grandson would watch the PBS painting show, The Magic of Oil Painting hosted by German artist Bill Alexander.
One Sunday, Buzelli came in to watch the show and saw that his grandfather had set up two easels in his shop.
From that time on, he and his grandfather regularly watched Bill Alexander and tried to recreate the paintings from his lessons.
This was Buzelli's introduction to oil paint, the medium he still uses for all his work.
In addition to starting his grandson on the path to be an artist, his grandfather kept all of Buzelli's paintings. He continued to collect them through the artist's high school years and when Buzelli went to Rhode Island School of Design, he asked his grandson to send him his work. Having retired, he transformed his repair shop into a gallery, where he hung all of his grandson's paintings.
Buzelli attended Homewood-Flossmoor High School, where encountered ridicule from classmates, but found support in his art teacher, Kael Kirkpatrick who invited him to eat lunch in his room and went so far as to create a little room for the student in the back of the art department. Kirkpatrick also created additional classes, enabling Buzelli to take three art classes in his senior year.
Buzelli received a scholarship to the Rhode Island School of Design, based on an interior study drawing of his feet on the bathroom floor. He Graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1995

Artistic influences

After graduating from RISD, Buzelli moved to New York City and moved in with his classmate and illustrator, Aaron Meshon. He worked part-time jobs and it would take the artist seven years before he was financially able to work full-time as an illustrator. For three months, the artist varnished all of the wooden wallboards in the bar area of the Society of Illustrators. Buzelli didn't develop his award-winning working style until 2004. Prior to that he was working primarily as a collage artist. In 2004, the artist was sidelined with torn ligaments in his knee and during his recovery, the style that he has become known for emerged.
Shortly after deciding to change his working style and focus on more personally derived works, the artist was commissioned by Amid Capeci for a review illustration for the magazine Rolling Stone for the album One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back by The Darkness and the artist considered the work he created as career changing.

Career

Buzelli would go on to create many more review illustrations for Rolling Stone, as well as works for a wide variety of publishing and corporate clients.

Clients

Buzelli has been commissioned for works by Time, Playboy, The New York Times, Harper's, Scientific American, Entertainment Weekly, PLANSPONSOR, Newsweek, Abrams Books, and Random House as well as many others. He also has collaborated on many projects for design firms and advertising agencies. A selected sample of corporate projects include a series of posters for the Tropen Museum in Amsterdam, a wine label for St. Supery, an ad campaign for United Airlines and a poster for Macy’s Annual Flower Show.

Notable works

Institutional

Samples of award-winning poster works by the artist

  • Unleashed Society of Illustrators 30th Members Open, 2019
  • SVA MTA Subway Poster Series, creative director Anthony P. Rhodes, 2018
  • ICON 7,2012
  • Make an Impact, Have an Impact, art directors Jim Root/Karen Kirsch, Patrick Nagel Award for Excellence, 2011

Personal works

Buzellli has created numerous book covers. Listed below is a small sample

  • Lent, authored by Jo Walton, published by Tor Books, 2020
  • Darwin Comes to Town, authored by Menno Schilthuizen, published by Picador USA, 2018
  • The Kite Maker, authored by Brenda Peynado, published by Tor Books, 2018
  • The Lost Island of Tamarind, authored by Nadia Aguiar, published by Square Fish, 2017
  • Red, authored by Ramsey Shehadeh, published by Tor Books,2017
  • The Great Wave of Tamarind, authored by Nadia Aguiar, published by Square Fish, 2017
  • Secrets of Tamarind, authored by Nadia Aguiar, published by Square Fish, 2017
  • Get in Trouble, authored by Kelly Link, published by Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2016
  • Mrs. Sorensen and the Sasquatch, authored by Kelly Barnhill published by Tor Books, 2014
  • Where the Lost Things Are, authored by Terry Bisson and Rudy Rucker, published by Tor Books, 2014
  • The Hanging Game, authored by Helen Marshall, published by Tor Books, 2013
  • Brimstone and Marmalade, authored by Aaron Corwin, published by Tor Books, 2013
  • Ponies, authored by Kij Johnson, published by Tor Books, 2011
  • The Fermi Paradox Is Our Business Model, authored by Charlie Jane Anders, published by Tor Books, 2011
  • The Next Invasion, authored by Robert Reed, published by Tor Books, 2011
  • The Star and the Rockets, authored by Harry Turtledove, published by Tor Books, 2011
  • Swingers, authored by Robert Reed, published by Tor Books, 2011

Exhibitions


  • Creative Marriage of Words and Images at ISB, Illustration Studies Building at RISD, 2019
  • Memento mori,Star Gallery NYC, 2018
  • The ART of Illustration, Giertz Gallery, Champaign, IL, 2018
  • Facing Humanity, Northeastern's Center for the Arts, Curated by Scott Bakal, 2017
  • BLABSHOW 2013 and 2012,Copro Gallery
  • Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, Copro Gallery, 2012
  • Chris Buzelli von Hess Gallery at the Philadelphia University of the Arts, 2012
  • Tractor Beam Gallery, Dallas TX, 2012
  • Water Works, Giant Robot GR2, 2011 fundraiser for UNICEF
  • Post-It Show 6, Giant Robot Los Angeles, 2010
  • Things to Come, Bold Hype Gallery,New York, NY, 2010
  • For the Birds, Eclectix Gallery, El Cerrito, CA, 2010

Honors and awards


  • Hamilton King Award, 2020
  • Art Directors Club Bronze Cube, 2019, SVA NYC Subway posters
  • Graphis Poster Awards, Gold Medal, 2019, SVA NYC Subway posters
  • University & College Designers Association, Silver Medal, 2018, SVA Subway Posters
  • Society of Illustrators Gold Medal, 2014 Krampus: And the Children Shall Inherit the Earth for BLAB! group show curated by Monte Beauchamp
  • Society of Illustrators Gold Medal, 2012 Mirage Cartography for CD cover for the band, Paul Mark
  • Art Directors Club of Germany, Silver Nail Award, 2011 Calendar Project featuring 12 illustrations, DDB
  • Society of Illustrators Silver Medal, 2010 Golden Java Demon Statue for the Tropen Museum, art director Alexandre Lagoet
  • Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, Gold Meal, 1998,2007,2008 and Patrick Nagel Award For Excellence, 2005,2009,2011
  • Alt Pick Awards First Place, 2008 The Recession Serpent, CFO Magazine, art director Heather Godin
  • Chair of the Society of Illustrators Annual Competition, 1995

Working process

Buzelli creates a graphite under-drawing on gessoed masonite board before the final oil painting. From color studies to final art takes between 30 and 70 hours for each work. Because the work is often needed quickly, the artist avoids using colors that take a long time to dry, such as white. The white in Buzelli's work is often the white of the board.

Teaching

Buzelli teaches illustration weekly at RISD and also at SVA. Many of his students have gone on to achieve award-winning careers, including the Hamilton King Award winner, Victo Ngai.

Personal life

Buzelli is married to art director Soo Jin Buzelli. The two met while attending RISD. He and Soo Jin and their mini-pinscher, Sota live in New York City.