Ray Beldner at Bridgette Mayer Gallery

Ray Beldner exhibits his first solo show, Beautiful Freak, at Bridgette Mayer Gallery in Philadelphia, running from February 4 to March 22, 2025. This show displays Beldner’s latest sculptural collages that defy traditional classifications, existing in the liminal space between two and three dimensions.

Born in San Francisco, Ray Beldner’s work is featured in major public and private collections, including the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Oakland Museum of California, and the San Jose Museum of Art.

Holding a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and an MFA from Mills College, Beldner has received numerous prestigious awards, including a California Arts Council Fellowship in New Genres and a Creative Work Fund Grant from the Haas Foundation.

Known for his innovative approach to mixed media, Ray Beldner constructs his pieces using fragmented images torn from art history books, auction catalogs, and art magazines. His work contests conventional notions of collage, integrating sculptural techniques to create compositions that obscure the distinction between figure and ground. Drawing inspiration from modernist sculptors like Henry Moore and Jean Arp, Beldner has shifted from a concept-driven practice to a more instinctive process, allowing his materials to dictate form. His layered, deconstructed imagery engages in a dialogue with art history while simultaneously forging a new visual language.

“My small layered constructions have grown into large-scale assemblages and freestanding sculptures,” says Ray Beldner. “By deconstructing and reimagining historical imagery, I create a tension between destruction and creation—honoring the past while reshaping it into something new.”

Beautiful Freak will be on view at Bridgette Mayer Gallery (709 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA) from February 4 through March 22, 2025.