Malia Pettit is a classically-trained portrait and still life painter based in Lafayette, Louisiana. She holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees — one in Art History from UCLA and another in Fine Art (Painting) from Buckinghamshire New University in England.
Pettit sees her artistic process as an act of “liberating the paint” and “allowing for the unexpected to occur.” Her portraits of women stem from a fascination with glossy magazines and their portrayal of models, actors and celebrities. Her work has been especially influenced by Chantal Joffe and John Singer Sargent. She currently lives in California after having lived in England for ten years. When she’s not painting, she is a full-time mom and enjoys exploring estate sales, antique stores and used bookstores.
The decade Malia spent studying and working in London profoundly shaped her artistic sensibility, refining her traditional techniques and deepening her engagement with contemporary art.
Her work is highly sought after and has been sold extensively to businesses and private collectors from around the world. She has undertaken numerous commissions, ranging in scope from individual pieces for site-specific interiors to commercial projects for Napa Wineries, Private Aviation and Independent Record Labels.