Josh Mayhem — Sculptor of Designer Toys

Los Angeles–based sculptor Josh Mayhem transforms designer toys and iconic pop-culture figures into high-end contemporary gallery sculpture, using his signature “Blown Away” aesthetic. What began as customizations of small-scale designer toys has evolved into unique, one-of-a-kind sculptures defined by a sense of motion, chaos, and imaginative deformation; each piece melds vibrant color, resin drips, and sculptural exaggeration to recontextualize mass-produced icons in the realm of fine art.

By draining the familiar of its original context and reanimating it with expressive swirl and force, Mayhem challenges perceptions of objecthood, consumerism, and nostalgia, inviting viewers into a space where pop-culture memories and artistic reinvention collide.

Josh Mayhem’s work has been widely exhibited across galleries, art fairs, and institutions worldwide. He has exhibited solo in New York and LA and most recently in Las Vegas in 2024 for Animated Whirlwinds. Furthermore, he participated in the annual Arte Vivo exhibitions, including 2022 at Tamayo Museum (Mexico City), and earlier at Jumex Museum (Mexico City, 2020). His global gallery representation spans galleries across the U.S., Europe, Middle East, Asia, and beyond.

Mayhem has collaborated with some of the top names in the designer toy industry, working on releases and reinterpretations of iconic figures. He won “Custom of the Year” at the Designer Toy Awards in 2019 and again in 2021.

Josh Mayhem is not just a customizer of toys though; his career shows a deliberate trajectory into the fine-art world, with consistent gallery representation, museum exposure, and recognition by peers and institutions alike. His success demonstrates that pop-culture nostalgia and toy-collecting roots can evolve into serious contemporary art, as well as that the boundary between commercial collectible culture and gallery sculpture can be blurred, reinterpreted, and elevated. Through Josh Mayhem's work, his aim is to inspire and bring joy to people’s lives by creating one-of-a-kind pieces that captivate and delight viewers.

Explore Josh Mayhem at DTR Modern Galleries

DTR Modern Galleries newly represents Josh Mayhem’s sculpture, and most recently showcased them (with much success) at Art Miami 2025. Find Josh Mayhem’s work at their four contemporary gallery spaces, in Boston, New York, Palm Beach and Washington D.C.