Renowned artist Patrick J. Killian has carved a niche for himself in the art world as a creator of phenomenal portraits of significant, highly rated, and successful figures. His diversity in the art world ranges from pop icons to sporting legends and private commissions from the rich and famous.

He is well known for his work in combat sports, as his paintings capture the intensity, focus, and determination of the fighters; these portraits are sought after by serious art collectors in the boxing and MMA world as his portraits document critical stages and career-changing moments in his subjects.

 

Follow my artist's journey via my Instagram IGTV. 

 

Thanks for all the continued support...My journey started at a very young age, asking my mum as a kid for a pen or pencil because I just wanted to draw! The early junior School reports would state 

English: Average 

Maths: Average 

Art: Excellent 

Patrick has a very mature style of drawing 

 

My interest in boxing started while watching with my father. The classics, but I specifically remember watching Julio Ceasar Chavez v Meldrick Taylor...that was a classic. Although the circumstances of the ending of that fight, boxing showed a warrior spirit with the fortitude of never giving up! 

I started boxing in my teens as a 16 yr old after leaving school. I fell in love with the training regime every day and improving myself. Gary Butcher & Dennis Rogers then started a gym in my village which for me as a young kid was like a dream. Gary & Dennis took me everywhere, sparring around all the top gyms. 

During this time, while training, I decided to continue my passion for art by enrolling in Art college. Wanting to capture my heroes of the sport onto a different canvas seemed the natural thing to do. Boxing Art then became quite a focus in my work. I boxed for my country and internationally on several occasions. I finished with a senior amateur record of about 45 bouts, winning 35 and stopping 15 or more inside the distance ......the story continues. 

 

Killian exhibits in New York painting live at the INNSiDE Hotel ~ Official hotel for TopRank ~ Taylor v Lopez ~ The Original painting is acquired by TeoFimo Lopez the morning after ~ June 10th 2023 

Killian exhibits in Chicago ~ The IBF 38th Annual Convention celebrating its 40th year ~ Cover Artwork by Killian ~ The Original Painting is acquired by Board of Directors Mr Aaron Kizer and presented to the IBF ~ May 28th - June 1st 

Killian Exhibits in Las Vegas ~  Haney v Lomachenko ~ May 20th 2023 

The WBA awards Killian for his contribution to Art in Boxing, presented by President Gilberto Mendoza in Orlando, Florida ~ Dec 2022 ~ Video of this presentation can be seen via Exhibitions & Events 

Killian is commissioned by the WBA World Boxing Association ~ A special piece to commemorate 100 years since Dempsey v Carpentier ~ Painting live in Orlando, Florida at the 100-year Convention at the Caribe Royale Hotel ~ Dec 11th - 14th, 2022

Killian paints live and present the winners with original bespoke paintings at the ~ Fighters Only World Mixed Martial Arts Awards at the Sahara Las Vegas Dec 8th, 2022

The WBO commissions Killian to produce a special piece of Oleksandr Usyk ~ WBO Fighter of the YEAR ~ presented to Usyk at the 35th Annual Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the Royal Sonesta Hotel ~ Oct 24th - 28th, 2022

Killian's work of Taylor v Serrano is used on the WBO 35th annual convention cover, and all promotional material ~ the live Pod Cast from Puerto Rico can be seen via the home page ~ Oct 24th - 28th, 2022

Killian presents induction paintings to inductees at the 6th Annual Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame ~ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Oct 7th - 9th, 2022 

Killian exhibits in Las Vegas ~ Canelo v Bivol ~ The painting is signed by both fighters on stage at the final press conference ~ Eddy Reynaso purchases the Original ~ in May 2022.

Killian exhibits in New York at the Stewart Hotel opposite Madison Square Garden.  The Original painting is exhibited at the weigh-in and used on the DAZN show for Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano in April 2022

Killian paints live at the Fighters Only World Mixed Martial Arts Awards in Las Vegas and presents various fighters with Award paintings Dec 2021 

Killian paints live on stage at an evening with Khabib Oct 2021

Killian exhibits & paints live at the 2021 Arnold Classic at the Birmingham NEC Oct 1st - 3rd ~ SparBar Stand  ~ Athletic director and brand ambassador Roy Jones Jr made Roy Jones Jr sign a special visit ~ Killian’s live painting   

Killian exhibits at the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame weekend ~ Commissioned paintings presented to each inductee, including Roy Jones Jr, Felix Trinidad, Kelly Pavlik, Riddick Bowe, and others ~ August 20-22nd, 2021 

Killian exhibits in Las Vegas ~ Painting Mike Tyson Live at The Art of Music store  ~ During the weekend of Wilder v Fury ~ February 2020 

Killian exhibits in Saudi Arabia for the rematch for Ruiz v Joshua 2 ~ Original painting is signed by both fighters ~ Exhibited at the official fight hotel ~ Al Faisaliah Hotel ~ December 2019

Killian exhibits in MGM Las Vegas for Canelo v Kovalev ~ Arrival day foyer, MGM Whiskey Downs, MGM Art of Music store ~ A Limited No of Canvases are signed by Canelo ~ November 2019

Killian exhibits in Los Angeles for Errol Spence v Shawn Porter ~ Exhibits during fight week at media hotel ~ Both fighters sign original ~ September 2019

Killian exhibits Tyson Fury & Bob Arum Painting at Fury v Wallin at MGM Las Vegas.  MGM Art of Music Memorabilia store.  At a media press conference, Bob Arum & Tyson Fury signed a strictly Limited Canvas Edition ~ September 2019

Killian exhibits latest piece at the O2 Arena ~  Lomachenko v Campbell ~ August 2019

Killian is commissioned by the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame to produce a series of paintings to present to each of the inductees in Atlantic City.  Producing cover Art for the official programme.  Announced as the official Artist to the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame  ~ June 2019 

Killian paints & exhibits at Joshua v Ruiz commissioned to paint live at the Stewart Hotel New York City, opposite the Madison Square Garden ~ June 2019

Killian exhibits & paints live at the Art of Music store MGM Grand Las Vegas for Canelo v Jacobs ~ May 2019 

Killian paints & exhibits at the official fight hotel for Crawford v Khan.  Stewart Hotel opposite the Madison Square Garden.  Crawford buys original work ~ April 2019

Killian paints live at the WREX Rugby Hall of Fame dinner at Swalec Stadium Cardiff, set up by the Welsh Former International Players Association.  Live painting of Sam Warburton goes for £3500 ~ March 2019

Killian paints & exhibits at the Parkway Hotel Cwmbran, Pontypool 50th Anniversary ~ February 2019 

Killian exhibits Original Wilder v Fury in Los Angeles. Exhibits at the Official Media Hotel, Hotel Westin Bonaventure.  The original painting was sold to a collector from Utah ~ in Dec 2018 

Killian exhibits Original Ukraine Champions painting in New York at the official fight hotel ~ the Stewart Hotel opposite MSG.  Painting signed by Gvosdyk, Usyk & Lomachenko.  Original Sold to Dr Kirill (commission) Killian presents Lomachenko with original live painting.  Limited Edition Canvas Signed by all 3 champions Dec 2018

Killian exhibits Usyk v Bellew at the official weigh-in Manchester.  Exhibits at the Radisson Blu & Crowne Plaza.  Original painting signed by Usyk Nov 2018

Killian exhibits Khabib v Mcgregor Original at the MGM Jeff Mitchum Gallery in Las Vegas.  Original Sold to collector Oct 2018

Killian Paints live at the Las Vegas Fight Shop Oct 2018 Original Sold to the collector 

Killian is invited to exhibit in Saudi Arabia at the WBSS event Groves v Smith.  Original painting signed by Champion Callum Smith exhibited at the WBSS VIP Suite Sep 2018

Killian exhibits in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Canelo v Golovkin 2, The Art of Music Memorabilia store also exhibits Original at the Closed Circuit TV event at the MGM Sep 2018.  Original Sold to collector.  Canvas Edition Signed by Canelo Sep 2018 

Killian exhibits at the Hard Rock Casino ~ Las Vegas ~ Golden Boy Boxing Event before the big fight Canelo v Golovkin on 2 Sep 2018

Killian exhibits at the Europa Hotel and Windsor Park Stadium for the Frampton v Jackson Boxing Event.  The original live painting sold June 2018

Killian exhibits at the Europa Hotel Belfast and the SSE Belfast Arena for Mick Conlans homecoming.  Limited Edition Canvas Edition Signed by Mick Conlan June 2018

 

Killian is commissioned by the Atlantic City Boxing Hall of Fame to produce a series of paintings to present to each inductee in Atlantic City.  June 2018

Killian exhibits Selby v Warrington at Elland Road Stadium VIP suite May 2018

Killian exhibits Lomachenko v Linares Original at New York Stewart Hotel (official fight hotel) Original Painting Signed by both fighters May 2018

Killian exhibits at Manchester Arena at the World Boxing Super Series, Groves VS Eubank, Weigh in, and VIP Hospitality Suite. Feb 2018

Killian Exhibits Original Lomachenko v Rigondeaux in New York.  Original Art signed by both fighters.  exhibited at Madison Square Garden for weigh-in & featured on the ESPN website Killian exhibits Lomachenko v Rigondeaux at the official fight Hotel ~ Stewart Hotel. Dec 2017


Killian exhibits original Canelo v Golovkin Painting in Vegas ~ Original Sold to a collector in Olympia, Washington, USA 2017

Exhibiting in Las Vegas MGM Grand  with Mauricio Sulaiman President of the WBC  Canelo v Golovkin final press conference

Killian exhibited the Original Signed Painting of Ward v Kovalev 2 at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino Events Center in June 2017.  Also, at the MGM Grand Jeff Mitchum Gallery.  Originally sold to a collector in Washington USA

Exhibiting at Mandalay Bay for Ward v Kovalev...Errol Spence, IBF champ, stops by to take a look 

Exhibiting the Original Mayweather v McGregor in Las Vegas at the Jeff Mitchum Gallery. Originally sold to a collector in Canada

 Exhibiting the Original Mayweather v McGregor in Vegas at the Jeff Mitchum Gallery 2017

 A few months before this...exhibiting a series of works in La Jolla, California, also at the Jeff Mitchum Gallery, showcasing his Frampton vs Cruz 2 piece...both Jan 2017.   He regularly exhibits at sports & charity events, Painting live.  Most recently, doing a live painting at an evening with football legend  Pele at the Centenary Pavilion, Elland Road Leeds.  Exhibition in La Jolla, San Diego, at the Jeff Mitchum Gallery.

 

About me

My work has been a constant progression for many years. After selling my first painting at age 15, I knew then that it was possible to be a professional Artist. After leaving school with an A at GCSE, I studied locally, doing a general Art & Design course. Then to Carmarthenshire College of Technology & Art and graduated with a Fine Art/Illustration distinction in 1995. Fresh out of college, my work was published as a range of Greeting Cards for Royal Publications and Gluvian Galleries. 

Boxing was a huge part of my life; I mixed both passions together, creating many of my heroes on canvas. My first success here was producing a large commission of Steve Robinson for ITV sponsors Empress Car Sales in 1995

As an amateur, I started late at 16 and had my first amateur contest at 18 in Newbridge in 1993, stopping my opponent in the 3rd round. A young man called Joe Calzaghe also boxed on the same bill!! My amateur record was 45 senior bouts winning 35, stopping more than 15 inside the distance of 3 to 5 rounds (5x2min rounds in Championships 1997). I seriously considered turning pro with the Calzaghe camp after winning the then ABF (Amateur Boxing Federation) title in 1997, but my hands hurt; I felt it was the wrong move for my Art career. Also disillusioned with the politics surrounding the sport and the amateur scene, I pursued my dream of becoming a professional Artist. 

Further success came with a hefty commission in 2005 from James J. Houlihan, the American Curator of the successful World Tour Exhibition The Fighting Irishmen. The Exhibition traveled since its inception in New York in 2006, The South Seaport Museum in New York in 2007, Boston College in 2008, Ulster American Folk Park Museum in 2009, Dublin Croke Park Museum in 2010, Limerick, Ireland in April 2011 before finishing in Pheonix Arizona in 2013. The exhibit included 4 of my paintings.  

My latest works consist of various icons painted in a contemporary style. For Killian, the distinctive blue in the works makes the image pop out, highlighting the shadows. Some people have already mentioned that seeing the work, they instinctively know it's a Killian.

Over the last few years, I have painted at many sporting and charity events, raising thousands for various charities through my paintings. In December 2009, my Amongst Legends painting of Jenson Button raised £6,000 for the Make a Wish Children's Charity. I have worked with some of the biggest names in the sport over the last few years, including Muhammad Ali's (Celebrity fight night) Mike Tyson, Paul Gascoigne, Sugar Ray Leonard, Nigel Mansell, Henry Cooper, Tony Jacklin, Naseem Hamed, Jamie Robinson, Shane Warne, and Gary Player to name a few.

I am an ambassador to the Amelia Mae Davies Children's Cancer Charity.

 

Happy to paint all subject matter and always willing to take on new commissions

Galleries currently selling my work

Steak of the Art Gallery ~ Cardiff

Art PoweRed ~ Greenwich, London

Apple Pie House Gallery ~ Gloucester Quays, Birmingham and Chelthenam

Hall of Frames ~ Belper, Derbyshire

Jeff Mitchum Galleries ~ La Jolla, California 

Jeff Mitchum Galleries ~ MGM Grand, Las Vegas