Mario Joyce’s work is rooted in his genealogical research of his family, going back to the 1600s. Incorporating imagery, memories, and stories from his familial research, Joyce incorporates vintage collage materials and soil from the farm he grew up on into his sumptuously textured paintings, weaving together a rich tapestry of his origins. A self-taught artist, Joyce mines his ancestral lineage as well as his personal experience growing up in rural Ohio as a Queer Black man. His work delves into how memories evolve over time and across generations, transforming into intricate capsules of meaning that convey messages of identity, belonging, and place.
Mario Joyce lives and works in Los Angeles. He has participated in several residencies including Sointula House Residency, Sointula, BC (2024); Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME (2023); Pratt Forward, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY (2022); La Brea Studio Residency, Los Angeles, CA (2021). His work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at UTA Artist Space, Los Angeles, CA (2024); Sakhile&Me, Frankfurt, Germany (2023); UTA Art Space, Atlanta, CA (2022). He has been included in numerous group exhibitions at MUZEO Museum and Cultural Center, Anaheim, CA (2024); F2T Gallery, Milan, Italy (2023); New York Culture Club, New York, NY (2022); Over the Influence, Los Angeles, CA (2022), among others. His work is included in public collections including the Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC and the North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, ND.
![This image depicts an artwork by Mario Joyce titled "Hex." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 72" x 60" [HxW] (182.88 x 152.4 cm). Its medium is Soil, vintage collage, oil paint, acrylic paint, pastel on canvas.](https://vielmetter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mario-Joyce_JOY1025_1734650484-770x1024.jpg)
“Hex,” 2024
“Hex,” 2024
Soil, vintage collage, oil paint, acrylic paint, pastel on canvas
72" x 60" [HxW] (182.88 x 152.4 cm)
Inventory #JOY1025
Courtesy of the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles
Photo credit: Brica Wilcox
![This image depicts an artwork by Mario Joyce titled "As From Above." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 72" x 60" [HxW] (182.88 x 152.4 cm). Its medium is Soil, vintage collage, oil paint, acrylic paint, pastel on canvas.](https://vielmetter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mario-Joyce_JOY1021_1734650470-829x1024.jpg)
“As From Above,” 2024
“As From Above,” 2024
Soil, vintage collage, oil paint, acrylic paint, pastel on canvas
72" x 60" [HxW] (182.88 x 152.4 cm)
Inventory #JOY1021
Courtesy of the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles
Photo credit: Brica Wilcox
![This image depicts an artwork by Mario Joyce titled "He Hears Echoes." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures Triptych: 72" x 60" [HxW] (182.88 x 152.4 cm) each. Its medium is Soil, vintage collage, oil paint, acrylic paint, pastel on canvas.](https://vielmetter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mario-Joyce_JOY1028_1734650439-1024x484.jpg)
“He Hears Echoes,” 2024
“He Hears Echoes,” 2024
Soil, vintage collage, oil paint, acrylic paint, pastel on canvas
Triptych: 72" x 60" [HxW] (182.88 x 152.4 cm) each
Inventory #JOY1028
Courtesy of the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles
Photo credit: Brica Wilcox
![This image depicts an artwork by Mario Joyce titled "I Saw A Spirit, Where Have You Gone." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures Diptych: 60" x 48" [HxW] (152.4 x 121.92 cm) each. Its medium is Soil, vintage collage, oil paint, acrylic paint, pastel on canvas.](https://vielmetter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mario-Joyce_JOY1027_1734650454-1024x768.jpg)
“I Saw A Spirit, Where Have You Gone,” 2024
“I Saw A Spirit, Where Have You Gone,” 2024
Soil, vintage collage, oil paint, acrylic paint, pastel on canvas
Diptych: 60" x 48" [HxW] (152.4 x 121.92 cm) each
Inventory #JOY1027
Courtesy of the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles
Photo credit: Brica Wilcox
![This image depicts an artwork by Mario Joyce titled "Fragmented Memory." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 36" x 48" [HxW] (91.44 x 121.92 cm). Its medium is Soil, vintage collage, oil paint, acrylic paint, pastel on canvas.](https://vielmetter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mario-Joyce_JOY1016_1734650426-1024x798.jpg)
“Fragmented Memory,” 2024
“Fragmented Memory,” 2024
Soil, vintage collage, oil paint, acrylic paint, pastel on canvas
36" x 48" [HxW] (91.44 x 121.92 cm)
Inventory #JOY1016
Courtesy of the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles
Photo credit: Brica Wilcox
![This image depicts an artwork by Mario Joyce titled "Labyrinth." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 36" x 48" [HxW] (91.44 x 121.92 cm). Its medium is Soil, vintage collage, oil paint, acrylic paint, pastel on canvas.](https://vielmetter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mario-Joyce_JOY1020_1734650409-1024x818.jpg)
“Labyrinth,” 2024
“Labyrinth,” 2024
Soil, vintage collage, oil paint, acrylic paint, pastel on canvas
36" x 48" [HxW] (91.44 x 121.92 cm)
Inventory #JOY1020
Courtesy of the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles
Photo credit: Brica Wilcox
![This image depicts an artwork by Mario Joyce titled "Dissolve." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 8" x 8" [HxW] (20.32 x 20.32 cm)9 ³⁄₄" x 9 ³⁄₄" x 2 ¹⁄₄" [HxWxD] (24.76 x 24.76 x 5.71 cm) framed. Its medium is Soil, vintage collage and oil paint on canvas.](https://vielmetter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mario-Joyce_JOY1013_1734650389-768x1024.jpg)
“Dissolve,” 2024
“Dissolve,” 2024
Soil, vintage collage and oil paint on canvas
8" x 8" [HxW] (20.32 x 20.32 cm)
9 ³⁄₄" x 9 ³⁄₄" x 2 ¹⁄₄" [HxWxD] (24.76 x 24.76 x 5.71 cm) framed
Inventory #JOY1013
Courtesy of the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles
Photo credit: Jeff McLane
![This image depicts an artwork by Mario Joyce titled "Emerge." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 9 ³⁄₄" x 9 ³⁄₄" x 2" [HxWxD] (24.76 x 24.76 x 5.08 cm) framed8" x 8" [HxW] (20.32 x 20.32 cm). Its medium is Soil, vintage collage and oil paint on canvas.](https://vielmetter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Mario-Joyce_JOY1006_1734650367-758x1024.jpg)
“Emerge,” 2024
“Emerge,” 2024
Soil, vintage collage and oil paint on canvas
9 ³⁄₄" x 9 ³⁄₄" x 2" [HxWxD] (24.76 x 24.76 x 5.08 cm) framed
8" x 8" [HxW] (20.32 x 20.32 cm)
Inventory #JOY1006
Courtesy of the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles
Photo credit: Brica Wilcox
![This image depicts an artwork by Mario Joyce titled "Fragments Of A Scattered Past." This artwork was created in 2024 and measures 72" x 60" [HxW] (182.88 x 152.4 cm). Its medium is Vintage collage, soil, oil paint, acrylic paint on canvas.](https://vielmetter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Mario-Joyce_JOY1001_1732063643-768x1024.jpg)
“Fragments Of A Scattered Past,” 2024
“Fragments Of A Scattered Past,” 2024
Vintage collage, soil, oil paint, acrylic paint on canvas
72" x 60" [HxW] (182.88 x 152.4 cm)
Inventory #JOY1001
Signed, dated and titled verso
Courtesy of the artist and Vielmetter Los Angeles
Photo credit: Brica Wilcox
- 1985
- Born in Ohio
- Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA
Selected Exhibitions
- 2024
- "Spirit, Spirit," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- "Amaryllis’ Garden," UTA Art Space, Beverly Hills, CA
- 2023
- "Gravity," Sakhile&Me, Frankfurt, Germany
- 2022
- “A Stranger’s House That Is Our Own,” UTA Art Space, Atlanta, GA
Selected Group Exhibitions
- 2025
- "Creative Confluence," Phillips Auction House, Los Angeles, CA
- 2024
- "Tracing Through Autumn Winds”, DoxsDoks, Cologne, Germany
- “for love, for art, and for being”, UTA Artist Space, Los Angeles, CA
- "New Works by Lavaughan Jenkins, Mario Joyce, Raffi Kalenderian, Kiriakos Tompolidis," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- 2024-2023
- "TRADITIONS," MUZEO Museum and Cultural Center, Anaheim, CA
- 2023
- “With Regard To Each Other,” Two person show with Julie Severino, F2T Gallery, Milan, Italy
- 2022
- “My People,” Good Black Art, New York Culture Club, New York, NY
- “From the Golden Hour Into Night,” Over the Influence, Los Angeles, CA
- Felix Art Fair, Residency Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- 2021
- Future Art Fair, Over the Influence, New York, NY
- 2020
- Prizm Art Fair, Miami, FL
- "Night & Day," Local Project Art Space, Long Island City, NY
Residencies, Scholarships, & Prizes
- 2024
- Sointula Art Shed Artist Residency, Sointula BC, Canada
- 2023
- Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME
- 2022
- Pratt>FORWARD, Pratt Institute, Fine Arts- Brooklyn, NY
- 2021
- La Brea Studio Residency, Los Angeles, CA
- ArtCrawl Harlem- Governor’s Island, New York, NY
Public Collections
- Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC
- North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, ND