Rob Grad is known for his introspective, yet bold 3D photo-based assemblages, sculptures, writing, and music. His heavily layered visuals contrast photographic vignettes of natural environments with urban-influenced drawing, painting, and his words–an aesthetic largely shaped by his two decades living in Venice Beach, CA.

Grad’s work delves into existential themes of desire, fulfillment, and resilience, reflecting on the complexities of contemporary life shaped by technology, social media, and politics. His recent creations draw increasing inspiration from his early career as a musician, when he was signed to RCA Records and featured on MTV shortly 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 exhibited works at the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster, CA as part of the Getty’s Pacific Standard Time initiative and performed a live multimedia experience as part of the programming.

He has large-scale commissioned works installed on both coasts, including the LA Clippers’ new Intuit Dome, the Zildjian corporate office, the San Francisco airport, and the Wells Fargo building in Brentwood, CA. He also gave a TEDx Talk in Culver City, CA, and participated in a global video project for TikTok China. Rob is a southern California native and lives in Los Angeles.