Malleus is an Italian three headed collective spreading its tentacles through all kind of visual art, from illustration to videos, passing through handpulled screen prints.
The iconography at the base of their work originates from a vast scenery including figurative arts, in particular Expressionism and Symbolism, Art Nouveau and Surrealism, Pop Art and Psychedelic Art, and also comics, photography, cinema and literature.
All these ingredients blend in with the main element of their poetics; that is the female form, the primordial goddess, from whom everything comes. Blackened art nouveau mixed with elements of surrealism and quotes from the school of expressionism glowing in its amber, resulting in an almost psychedelically overwhelming experience of visual magick.
All of the power trio’s works are based on hand-drawings and reflect the artists’ deep understanding and love for music.
At the end of 2002, the trio of Malleus, printing their first handmade silkscreen, took the critical step towards a walk that will make them enter into the Poster Art scene of today. Through the handprinted silkscreen, a simple gigposter turns into something different and particular.
Since then, Malleus have created screen prints for rock acts such as Foo Fighters, The Black Keys, Deftones, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Robert Plant, Queens Of The Stone Age, Mark Lanegan, the Melvins, Crosby Stills and Nash, Sleep, Linkin Park, The Prodigy, Dresden Dolls, The Mars Volta, Mogwai, Motorpsycho, Monster Magnet, Muse, Sonic Youth and many others all over the world.
Malleus have been featured in The New York Times, MTV, RockHard, RockSound, Rolling Stones, Sky among others.
Some of their clients include Volvo, Activision, Mondadori, Feltrinelli, CF Napa Brand Design, Century Guild, Oakley , Hellfest, Roadburn, Asymmetry Festival, Barley Arts, Secret Serpents, Dark City Gallery, MTV, Rolling Stone.
• 2008 – “The hammer of God: The art of Malleus Rock Art Lab” (ISBN 9788890369209)
• 2016 – “Dark Nouveau: Malleus Solo Exhibition” catalogue
• 2017 – “The Art of Ufomammut: From Space 1999 to The Infinity And Beyond – A Graphic Journey By Malleus” (ISBN 9788890362116)
• 2004 – Art of Modern Rock by Paul Grushkin and Dennis King
• 2005 – Swag Posters by Judith Salavetz
• 2007 – Art of Modern Rock: Mini #1 A-Z and “Art of Modern Rock: Mini #2 Poster Girls” by Dennis King
• 2012 – Rock Poster Art by Didier Maiffredy
• 2012 – Classic Rock Posters: Sixty Years Of Posters And Flyers. 1952 to 2012 by Mick Farren and Dennis Loren
• 2015 – La Sindrome Di Stendhal – thriller movie by Dario Argento (Italy, 1996) – DVD Cover Art (Japanese Version – Medallion Media)
• 2015 – The Scarlet Gospels – book by Clive Barker – Cover Art (ISBN 9780983807193)
• 2016 – 4 Mosche Di Velluto Grigio – thriller movie by Dario Argento (Italy, 1971) – DVD Cover Art
• 2017 – Opera [14] – horror movie by Dario Argento (Italy, 1987) – DVD Cover Art
• 2017 – The Art of Horror Movies: An Illustrated History by Stephen Jones (foreword by John Landis)
• 2008 – Disjecta Gallery – Portland, Oregon, United States
• 2008 – La Luz de Jesus Gallery – Los Angeles, United States
• 2008 – Andenken Gallery – Denver, United States
• 2009 – Art Rock Gallery – San Francisco, United States
• 2009 – Varnish Fine Art – San Francisco, United States
• 2009 – Mole Vanvitelliana – Ancona, Italy
• 2009 – Gallery De Stripkever – Mechelen, Belgium
• 2015 – Sottovento – Pavia, Italy
• 2016 – Palazzo Saluzzo di Paesana – Turin, Italy
• 2016 – Tune Up – Antwerp, Belgium
• 2017 – Galerie Malzhaus – Plauen, Germany
• 2002 – Artifacts of the Improbable – Trocadero – Philadelphia, United States
• 2005 – The Munny Show – Kidrobot/Drive In Studios – NYC, United States
• 2006 – Swear Bear Show – CBGB gallery – NYC, United States
• 2008/2009 – American Poster Institute – Flatstock – Hamburg, Germany
• 2009 – Beatlemania Museum Show – Hamburg, Germany
• 2008/2009 – TPRS ”The Rock Poster Society” – San Francisco, United States
• 2009 – Incubate festival – Tilburg, Netherlands
• 2010 – Röchaholics II – Rosematt Villa, Zürich, Switzerland
• 2012 – Dead Rockstars – Blunt Graffix – Eugene, OR, United States
• 2013 – Grand Guignol : Thanatos Exhibition Poster – Century Guild Art Gallery – Chicago, United States
• 2013 – Weapon of Choice – Hero Complex Gallery – Los Angeles,CA, United States
• 2016 – Foo Fighters Sonic Art Ways – French Paper Gallery – Paris, France
• Dennis King Gallery – Berkeley, California, United States
• De Young Museum of San Francisco – Legion of Honor, San Francisco, United States
SUPERNATURAL CAT RECORD LABEL
At the end of 2005, after working for several years on handmade silkscreens for gigs and events, Malleus decided to put the same efforts, quality and attitude in the “record industry, giving birth to a record label called Supernatural Cat.
Supernatural Cat is interested mainly in finding out new and original bands, very inspired music, considering the record like an handicraft piece in a way of thinking totally opposed to the serial logic of today.
The intention is to find music that is not closed in any genre, music has to be filled with the breath of originality, something special, something unique, something You can recognize as Supernatural Cat.
Every release comes out in a first limited edition run, with handmade silkscreened and numbered covers and deluxe packages.
Reprintings are “common” editions
Supernatural Cat is a totally indipendent and “open source” project at its beginning.
Supernatural Cat has been proud to become the sonic home for great and cool bands such as Ufomammut, Morkobot, Zolle, Ovo, Lento, Incoming Cerebral Overdrive, and FarwestZombee.