Bryan Fernandez
Bio
Bryan Fernandez is a first and second-generation Afro-Dominican-American mixed-media assemblage artist from Washington Heights, New York City, with lived experiences from other sites of his diaspora as well. He holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts with a minor in Creative Writing.His works have been exhibited across North America, including institutions such as The Shed in New York, New York, NewImage Art Gallery in Los Angeles, California, and art fairs such as MECA art fair in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Untitled Art Fair in Miami, Florida. Fernandez’s work can also be found in the X Museum collection in Beijing, China, The City University of New York, Dominican Studies Institute JSTOR Archive of Dominican-American Artists, and a variety of private collections across the world. He is a two-time Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grantee and has an upcoming solo exhibition “En Transito Pt.1” at the International Studio and Curatorial Program (ISCP) in 2026, as well as participation in the upcoming Bronx AIM biennial in the Bronx Museum (TBD).
Artist Statement
‘It’s one thing to be looked at and another to be seen, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Open Water."
As an Afro-Dominican American from Washington Heights, Bryan recognized that narratives from his community tied to the Afro-Diaspora would be ghosted from National Narratives connected to the Dominican Republic. As a result, Fernandez's practice centers on investigating how colonial legacies have shaped Afro-Dominican communities and the ways we exist today. Archiving and reclaiming his people's marginalized history. This is done primarily through mixed-media assemblages to reflect and explore how various histories, cultures, and identities are in relation with one another to create Dominicanidad. Atop of that, Fernandez also creates oil pastel drawings, collages, and sculptures.