BRANDON RALPH
Raised by a single parent in a middle-class neighborhood on Long Island, NY, Brandon Ralph’s perspective was shaped by the juxtaposition of his mother’s unwavering belief in the American Dream and the harsh reality of growing up on welfare along with learning disabilities. Held back in grade school and placed in special education classes throughout the rest of his tenure, Ralph grappled with academic learning and exploring his early identity in a system that often felt inaccessible and unforgiving. Coupled with the loss of both parents within six months beginning at age eighteen, Ralph’s lack of financial resources forced him to drop out of New York University.
It was during this pivotal moment that Ralph’s past and present converged, revealing to him that America–while not always fair–remains a place of opportunity and possibility. With little to go on, but driven by the relentless American hustle, Ralph co-founded Code and Theory in 2001, which has since become one of the largest creative agencies in the world, and later served as the Chief Experience Officer for Equinox Fitness Clubs.
The intersection of adversity, personal loss, and professional achievement deeply informs Brandon Ralph’s inventive work and philosophy. As a contemporary artist, Ralph uses photography, sculpture, and drawing to explore the complexities of life and cultural coexistence within his projects, as embodied in The American Experiment; the concepts of time and space in Moon Landing; and the power of the female form set against an ever-evolving urban landscape in Rebirth of a City. Ralph’s art invites spectators to revisit and re-evaluate their experience through his own, offering a glimpse of how to persevere through life’s challenges with humor and irony, and creating a dialogue that reflects the intricacy of everyday existence.
Recent Awards & Recognition
25’ PX 3 La Photographie Paris American Vernacular, Fine Art, Collage - Silver
25’ PX 3 La Photographie Paris Moon Landing, Fine Art, Abstract - Bronze
25’ Kuala Kumpur Photo Awards, Finalist “ The American Experiment”
25’ Berlin Photography Awards, Finalist “Moon Landing”
25’ Fine Art Photography Awards, Nominee “The American Vernacular”
25’ Fine Art Photography Awards, Nominee “Moon Landing”
25’ Communication Arts, Award of Excellence, “Rebirth of a City”
25’ AIAP, “Moon Landing”
25’ Graphis Photography Annual, Awarded Gold in Fine Art “Moon Landing”
25’ Monochrom Awards 3rd Prize & Honorable Mention “Moon Landing”
24’ International Photography Awards, Honorable Mention in Abstract “Moon Landing”
24’ International Photography Awards, Official Selection in Fine Art “Moon Landing”
24’ 19th Spider Awards, Honorable Mention in Americana “The American Experiment, American”
24’ 19th Spider Awards, Honorable Mention in Americana “The American Experiment, Privets”
24’ Center for Fine Art Photography Colorado, Official Selection “The American Vernacular”
24’ The AI AP, Official Selection “The American Experiment, Dots, Groom, Lines & Rear View”
24’ Chelsea International Photography Competition, Honorable Mention “Moon Landing”
24’ Monochrome Awards, Honorable Mention “Moon Landing, ML_ N°1 ”
24’ Monochrome Awards, 3rd Prize “Moon Landing, ML_ N°9 ”
24’ Graphis Awards, 3rd Prize Fine Art “Moon Landing, ML_ N°9 ”
23’ International Photography Awards, Official Selection in Book Fine Art “The American Experiment”
23’ 18th Spider Awards, 3rd Prize in Americana “The American Experiment, Bails”
23’ 18th Spider Awards, Honorable Mention in Americana “The American Experiment, Vail”
23’ 18th Spider Awards, Honorable Mention in Americana “The American Experiment, Village”
23’ 18th Spider Awards, Honorable Mention in Nude “Rebirth of a City, Chelsea”
23’ American Photographic Arts, Best In Show “Moon Landing, ML_ N°1”
23’ Mono Vision Awards, Honorable Mention in Conceptual “Moon Landing, ML_ N°1”
23’ Mono Vision Awards, Honorable Mention in Fine Art “The American Experiment”
22’ 17th Spider Awards, 3rd Prize in Americana “The American Experiment, Boots”
22’ 17th Spider Awards, Honorable Mention in Americana “The American Experiment, Elis”
22’ 17th Spider Awards, Honorable Mention in Americana “The American Experiment, Open Rd”
22’ One Eyeland, #1 BW Photographer North America, “The American Experiment”
22’ One Eyeland, Gold in Nude, “Rebirth of a City, Vik”
22’ One Eyeland, Bronze in Nude, “Rebirth of a City, Chelsea”
22’ One Eyeland, Bronze in Conceptual, “Moon Landing, ML_ N°1”
22’ The Refocus Awards, Honorable Mention in Abstract, “Moon Landing, ML_ N°1”
22’ The Refocus Awards, Honorable Mention in Nude, “Rebirth of a City, Vik”
22’ 16th International Color Awards, Honorable Mention in Americana, “The American Experiment, Memory ”
22’ 16th International Color Awards, Honorable Mention in Americana, “The American Experiment, Truck ”
21’ One Eyeland, Silver in Nude, “Rebirth of a City, Vik”
21’ One Eyeland, Bronze in Abstract, “Moon Landing, ML_ N°1”
21’ One Eyeland, Bronze in Photo Essay, “The American Experiment”
Recent Shows
25’ Abstract Now, Ezra Gallery Group Show, Still America
25’ St Regis Presidential Suite, Still America
24’ Independent & Image Art Space China, Group Show Moon Landing
24’ A Portrait of America . RI Center for Photographic Art, Group Show
24’ The Corner Gallery, Andes America
24’ Glasgow, The Surreal Group Show: Moon Landing
23’ Château Gallery, Americana Group Show
23’ Maryland Federation of Art, Group Show
22’ Leica Galleries Global Show
22’ Art Week St. Barths, Solo Show
22’ Aspen Snow Lodge, Group Show
22’ Praxis Galley Minnesota, Group Show
18’ David Totah Polarities, Group Show