Dallas artist's paintings showcased on ‘Empire'
DALLAS - Fans of FOX’s hit shot ‘Empire' will likely understand why a local artist is extremely busy these days.
Michael Savoie paints unique portraits. Through the power of social media, he got the attention of Empire show creator Lee Daniels. And as a result, his works have regularly appeared in scenes of the hit show.
Since then, Savoie can barely keep up with demand for his art.
The season three finale of Empire was high on drama with story plots that twisted and turned on a dime, proving the show remains a FOX masterpiece around the world, including in North Texas.
"It really instantly catapulted me from local to national and now internationally because they're showing worldwide,” the artist said.
Savoie’s art studio is within the Dallas Bishop Arts District. His original works often adorn scenes of Empire episodes, like one of his vivid portraits that grew in its own popularity.
"They moved it to a different scene to give a more prominent feature,” he said.
The show even commissioned Savoie to paint a flashy depiction of a character, something he had to pull off super fast. The result flourished.
"Her real name is Serayah. She plays the Tiana character, which is Hakeem's love interest on the very first season. This was a Thursday one week. And they said, ‘Hey, we need this on set in Chicago by Tuesday.’”
Savoie's clients now reach out to him from as far away as Singapore, Japan and Australia.
"People see the art there and they love it,” he said. “They Google me and Google the art on Empire. They find out who I am.”
And if you've ever doubted the power of social media, consider how Savoie landed a piece of an Empire.
After offering a gift of art to Daniels on Instagram, the show creator accepted and, in turn, offered the artist the colorful opportunity.
"It wasn't just Hollywood talk,” Savoie said. “He actually followed up. And so from there, I developed a relationship with the creative director there. And it’s been a working relationship ever since."