Southern California native, Rob Grad, is known for his introspective, yet bold 3D collages, sculptures, writing and music. His heavily layered visuals contrast photographic vignettes of natural and urban environments, with drawing, painting and his words-an aesthetic largely shaped from his two decades living in Venice Beach, CA.
Grad's work addresses existential issues surrounding desire, fulfillment, and resilience in a society inundated by technology, social media and politics. His new work is increasingly influenced by his early career as a musician, when he was signed to RCA records and appeared on MTV not long after graduating high school.
He is a product of the "MTV generation," which found its identity through a shared global experience before the invention of social media. It was a generation that invented itself as it went along. This ethos is a cornerstone of Grad's studio practice, always pushing himself into new and uncomfortable territory in an effort to extract the extraordinary from the mundane.
He has shown in museums, galleries and art fairs from Basel to Miami, and Los Angeles. In 2024 he will be exhibiting at the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster, CA as part of the Getty's Pacific Standard Time initiative. Other exhibitions include the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster, CA, Torrance Art Museum, Haute Photographie in Rotterdam, and the Griffin Museum of Photography in Boston. He has large-scale commissioned works installed on both coasts, and his work is held in private collections.
Grad gave a TEDx Talk in Culver City, CA about authenticity in art and following his internal muse. He also participated in a video project for TikTok China. He writes a blog about his art practice called "Creativesphere," and speaks to students in schools about the importance of learning to think creatively not only in art, but to solve problems in today's culture and society.