Share this
Brayan Ramales is a self-taught, multidisciplinary artist born in 1996 and raised in Kensington, Brooklyn. His practice spans painting, sculpture, tattooing, jewelry-making, and DJing, reflecting a dynamic engagement with various forms of creative expression. Ramales’s work delves into themes of faith, memory, masculinity, and cultural identity, often drawing from his Mexican heritage and Roman Catholic upbringing. He frequently incorporates found objects and sentimental items into his pieces, creating assemblages that blend personal narratives with broader cultural symbols.
In early 2024, Ramales co-presented “Freedom Love,” a dual exhibition with artist Frank Dorrey at WHAAM! in Lower Manhattan. The show featured airbrushed paintings, digital collages, and personal writings, exploring love, pleasure, tragedy, and faith in everyday life. Ramales’s contributions included ‘love letter’ drawings on old composition notebook paper and figurative paintings that combined storytelling with found objects, reflecting his introspective approach to art-making.
Ramales’s artistic journey began in high school, inspired by his friend and fellow artist Bryan Delvalle. He emphasizes the importance of intention in his work and views art as a lifelong journey of growth and self-discovery. Ramales has expressed a desire to focus more on the creative process rather than external validation, aiming to let his ideas develop fully before sharing them publicly.
Hi Brayan! It’s a pleasure to sit down with you! First question that I always ask. How does a regular day look like for you in Brooklyn?
Brayan: I like to walk a lot, on a day off I would probably get a bahn mi at Ba Xuyen which is a short train ride away from my house. I’ll take my iced coffee and bahn mi to eat at sunset park, the view of the Manhattan skyline is really beautiful from there.
I’m curious, growing up, what kind of kid were you? What did you enjoy doing, and how did you spend your time?
Brayan: I was an only child so I would spend a lot of time playing video games, I didn’t have a memory card on my PlayStation 2 so I don’t ever remember finishing a game since I would have to start from scratch every time haha. I really looked up to my older cousin Kevin so I would follow him around a lot playing basketball but I wasn’t any good.
Growing up in Kensington, Brooklyn and being raised in a Mexican Roman Catholic household — how do those cultural and spiritual roots manifest in your work?
Brayan: I love religious imagery, and try to reflect that fascination and adoration in my work.
I know you’re self taught. Do you remember aproximately at what age your creative side started to show? And when did you start taking being an artist seriously?
Brayan: I would doodle all through highschool but never viewed myself as an artist. I think around the age of 16 my friend Bryan taught me how to paint, it became the first thing in my life I didn’t give up on. I probably started taking art seriously as a possible career during the pandemic, my friend Mike really believed in my work early on and allowed me to do some designs for his merch at the time. It really pushed me to believe in myself.
Ok Brayan, with these next series of questions, I will try to delve into your work as best as possible. So…. You work across painting, sculpture, tattooing, and even DJing. How do these different mediums inform each other in your practice?
Brayan: I think the passion of learning new things and staying an amateur keeps making work exciting. I make a lot of my favorite work on accident or by mixing things together. I try to find shortcuts because as an artist I’m pretty lazy but in those shortcuts I find a lot interesting accidents that I try to develope more in my practice.
You often incorporate found objects and sentimental materials into your work. Can you talk about your relationship with memory and materiality?
Brayan: For better or for worse memory and yearning is the backbone of the work. An escape to a simpler time or remembering and grieving the past.
Would you consider yourself a nostalgic person?
Brayan: I didn’t think so but I looking at most of my work I think it’s heavily rooted in nostalgia.
How do you approach storytelling in your figurative paintings? Are the narratives premeditated or do they emerge during the process?
Brayan: Things usually emerge when I’m drawing in class or on the train. I can see an imagine while I’m riding the bus that really speaks to me and I think about how I can reinterpret it in a way that’s fun for me, that allows me to release the feeling.
You’ve previously said that intention is really important in your work. Can you elaborate on that?
Brayan: I try my best to make things, perhaps hard to love? If it feels easy to make, or too much of a copy of what’s going on I try to distort it so I’m not adding to nothingness. I am at least trying to explore and experiment, many times because I’m frustrated with myself, and how quickly I get bored. It’s a constant starting over and dance with myself. I want to paint everyday, I want to make stuff, but never have it be too easy even tho sometimes it might be.
Your work explores powerful themes like love, faith, pleasure, and tragedy. Are these themes autobiographical, spiritual, or both?
Brayan: I think they’re whatever I’m feeling at that moment, it tracks to my current state in love and faith. I journal everyday, and I’ll ask god to help me, express myself through the work so I don’t carry it so the me. I’ll see a good artshow, or look at one of the many Philip Guston books I have that makes me fall in love with painting all over again. It’s all kind of an accident, 2 cars crashing, one car is a theme or feeling in mind and the other is whatever material/materials interest me at the time.
So why are those themes important for you to document?
Brayan: I don’t know if they’re important, and it’s probably selfish that it’s either about emotional release or just for fun.
How do you navigate vulnerability in your art, especially when dealing with intimate or painful memories?
Brayan: Dang, I try not to think about it too much, and I’m hoping people forget the more embarrassing stuff. We consume so much art and media, even if I post something vulnerable or sad I know that people are so busy in their lives that if it doesn’t speak to them or look good to them they probably will forget about it right after they see it.
You’ve mentioned wanting to focus more on the process and less on external validation. How has that shift changed your work or mindset?
Brayan: I’m allowing myself to fall in love with painting, the act of making. Everything else is in gods hands, if I’m honest and the work is good, success will come. You can lose your mind yearning for validation.
How did tattooing and jewelry-making enter your life? Do you consider them separate practices or part of a larger vision?
Brayan: Haha honestly sometimes it’s just comes from a place of need. Tattooing and jewelry is an art form in itself. But I think I try to come to it as a craftsman. Honest work for some honest pay. I asked my uncle once who taught him how to do construction and he said “ la nececidad mijo” which translates to “need taught me” sometimes there’s a time where I’m not making any money from painting. And I’ll drop a flash make some money so I could buy some groceries and a metrocard.
Can you walk me through your creative process from beginning to end result?
Brayan: It either starts with a doodle from my sketchbook or a reference I’ve found online, I project it onto the canvas or paper. Outline with pencil then paint with oil, airbrush, color pencil etc.
How do you approach color?
Brayan: I’ll hover over colors and look at the painting and think it needs a little this it needs a little that.
So with what we just talked about, what are you hoping to convey?
Brayan: There’s no broad message across my work, maybe there is and I can’t see it. But to me if someone just thinks “that’s a guy who’s trying” is more than enough for me.
Outside of art, what’s something you’re obsessed with right now—maybe a hobby, a show, or even a food—that keeps you grounded or inspired?
Brayan: I play a lot of fortnite which is kind of embarrassing, I’ve been cooking a lot more which is really fulfilling and I’ve been eating a lot of Uyghur food.
Ok Brayan, now to something totally different. In a parallel universe who would you be? and what would you be doing?
Brayan: I would probably be a chef or in a perfect world a ufc fighter or both at the same time.
Can you tell me a story about a time when a connection with someone had a big impact on you?
Brayan: My ex girlfriend really changed my life in a positive way, she got me back into therapy and wrote me love letters that completely inspired my work. I think making that work changed my life, I owe a lot to them.
What qualities do you find most important in the people you choose to spend time with?
Brayan: Kindness and humility. I seen Marc Lamont Hill on Joe buddens podcast which is super silly, but lowkey I wish I was friends with that guy, he seems super smart and centered.
Anybody you look up to?
Brayan: I remember I had a catholic school teacher, her name was Dorothy. How she treated others and the students I think expanded my faith more then learning about the Bible.
What motivates you?
Brayan: The deep desire to live a decent life provided from making art.
How would you describe a perfect day?
Brayan: Perfect day, would probably involve a park, a hike with a nice view at the end. Some van lewen ice cream, earl grey tea and chocolate milkshake. And ending it with some wine and a really good ufc fight with friends.
Alright Brayan, I always ask these two questions at the end of an interview. The first is. What’s your favorite movie(s) and why?
Brayan: Oof I love this question, Bruce almighty and Nacho Libre . I think this idea of a goofy guy and underdog, has to become a better person gets the girl and lives a decent life. I want that for me haha.
The second is. What song(s) are you currently listening to the most right now?
Brayan: Dang there’s like 5 songs.
1. So high by French Montana
2. Whim Whamie by Pluto and YKNiece
3. Guarana by nusar3000
4. Hoja en Blanco by monchi y Alexandra
And maybe my favorite song ever “I want it all” by Fat Trel. It made me cry walking home the other day there’s this part of the song where he’s listing the things he wants to get for his partner and friends it really gets to me haha “trying to survive another year for you, trying to provide another meal for you.”