Based between Miami Beach and New York City, Bradley Theodore is a multidisciplinary artist whose iconoclastic approach to art can be found internationally...
Based between Miami Beach and New York City, Bradley Theodore is a multidisciplinary
artist whose iconoclastic approach to art can be found internationally,
from 10 foot murals on the streets of New York, Tokyo, and Milan, to sold out solo
exhibitions in London. With roots in graphic design, Theodore began his artistic career
adorning the streets of New York City with vibrant, chromatic murals of skeleton
crews depicting contemporary pop culture and fashion “royalty.” The artist has
become a staple in the art and fashion scene across the globe.
Born in Turks & Caicos, Bradley Theodore has been an internationally inclined artist
and collaborator from his very beginnings. Having worked in the tech and design
sector after his graduation from the School of Visual Arts, Theodore moved to San
Francisco for a short period of time before moving back to New York where his art
career took off after getting involved in the street art scene of lower Manhattan. He’s
now known to jet set from Miami to New York, to London and Tokyo and back, for
public art engagements and gallery viewings alike.
Theodore utilizes imagery and colors that highlight the fleeting fame and omnipresent
mortality that are often obscured in celebrity culture, which he makes accessible by
exposing the inner structure of known icons. Particularly focused on depicting
“royalty” in this manner, from Queen Elizabeth and George Washington to Theodore’s
arguably most famous portraits of fashion giants Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld,
viewers are invited to reflect on life, death, and the beauty within – and to ruminate
upon this concept of memento mori. Though Theodore’s subjects are recognizable by
their accessories and outer adornments, his unique fusion of fashion, art and the
human condition transcends vanity and status and settles instead in a space of
contemplation and stillness.
Vogue’s International Editor Suzy Menkes refers to his work as “Banksy meets
Basquiat.” More typically beginning with a black canvas, Theodore’s work extends the
same joyful contemplation of mortality found in Dias de los Meurtos traditions, and
applies this to celebrity and tastemaker culture.
Instead of invoking morbid connotations, Theodores’ rendering of skeletonised
versions of famous figures seeks to investigate the deeper meaning of life. Stripping
off expertly curated exteriors in favor of celebrating not just status achieved in life,
but the exploration of what it means to be alive. Theodore’s bright, happy palette is
revelatory in and of itself – color, like fashion, celebrity and mortality, as a crossculturally,
and internationally celebrated aspect to the human condition. Using these
bright hues atop a black canvas magnifies the concept of turning icons inside out,
starting from darkness and investigating the sparks of color and life his subjects
exude, imploring color, life and emotion.
In addition to numerous sold out solo exhibitions worldwide, several iconic brand
collaborations including Rolls Royce, Puma, Moleskine and the 2016 US Open (of
which he was named the official artist), Theodore was the subject of independent film
“Becoming: Bradley Theodore” which premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival.
Even more notably, Google named Theodore virtual reality artist in residence where
he employed the tech giant’s Tilt Brush tool to create art in another dimension and
invite viewers to experience his creations in a more intimate way.
Bradley Theodore’s large-scale murals can be seen throughout New York’s Lower
East Side as well as in London, Hong Kong, and Paris. He’s painted the likes of Kate
Moss, Frida Kahlo, and Cara Delavigne. Despite his large celebrity following, with
named collectors including Alyssa Milano, Iris Apfel, Bryan Cranston, and Salma
Hayek, Theodore strives to remain humble and focused on his top priority – painting.
Rolls Royce neturion partner – best experience of 2017.
Solo Shows
2019 372 West Broadway NYC “Two As One”
2018 Maddox Gallery “The Coronation’
2017 Maddox Gallery "The Second Coming”
2016 Maddox Gallery "Son Of The Soil"
2016 ACA Galleries "Bradley Theodore"
Group Shows
2017 Maddox Gallery "Retrospective 2017”
2017 Vertical Gallery "Searching For Surfaces"
2017 Maddox Gallery "Autumn Contemporary"
2017 Maddox Gallery "Winter Contemporary"
2017 Maddox Gallery "The Summer Edition"
2017 Maddox Gallery "Breaking Boundaries"
2017 Maddox Gallery "Modern Masters"
2016 Maddox Gallery "Retrospective"
2015 ACA Galleries "Raw Beauty"
Art Fairs
2018 Maddox Gallery at Art Miami
2018 Maddox Gallery at Texas Contemporary
2017 Maddox Gallery at Art Miami
2017 Maddox Gallery at Texas Contemporary
2016 ACA Galleries at Market Art & Design
2016 ACA Galleries at Texas Contemporary
2015 ACA Galleries at Texas Contemporary
2015 ACA Galleries at Market Art & Design
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