I wanted to make paintings that free the viewer from self-consciousness… skeletons too in awe of the world to question themselves, and blue apples so beautiful and strange that it’s like you’re seeing an apple for the first time.
— Paul Heyer
Paul Heyer (b. 1982, Chicago, IL) is a Chicago-based artist whose work spans painting, installation, and sculpture, often merging the fantastical with the familiar. Infused with luminous color, dreamlike narratives, and a sense of childlike wonder, Heyer’s imagery draws from both pop-cultural iconography and the natural world. His art has been described as “Neo-Symbolist Disney after the rave,” capturing a balance of playful surrealism and deep emotional resonance.
Heyer studied at Columbia University, earning his BA in 2004 and MFA in 2009. He has presented solo exhibitions at The Green Gallery (Milwaukee), Chapter NY (New York), Mickey (Chicago), Night Gallery (Los Angeles), and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, which hosted his widely acclaimed 2018 exhibition Chicago Works: Paul Heyer. His work has also been included in group exhibitions at Perrotin (New York), MX Gallery (New York), Galería Agustina Ferreyra (Mexico City), Park View Gallery (Los Angeles), HOME (Manchester, UK), What Pipeline (Detroit), and others.
His paintings and installations are held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Brauer Museum of Art at Valparaiso University. Heyer’s work has been reviewed in Art Agenda, Artforum, The New York Times, and FlashArt. He lives and works in Chicago, Illinois.