Christopher Pelley

Christopher Pelley was born in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1955, and raised in New England. Although a New York City-based artist, Pelley also divides his time between Rome and Beijing. An avid traveler from an early age, Pelley dropped out of high school to travel across India; after returning to school, he studied at Syracuse University and at Arizona State University, where he received his BFA summa cum laude. His work has been exhibited in the United States, Budapest, and Beijing, and can be seen in numerous permanent collections, such as the Shangyuan Art Museum in Beijing and the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC. Many of Pelley’s paintings and mixed-media works reflect his experiences abroad as well as his fascination with myth, memory, history, and nostalgia. In Rome, Pelley taught as a visiting professor at the Pratt Institute School of Architecture Rome Program, and as an adjunct professor at the University of New Mexico Rome Program. In Beijing, Pelley curates exhibitions at the Gallery Projects, which showcases contemporary art by emerging Chinese artists.