BIO

 
 

Brandon d’Leo is an established New York City artist and self-taught sculptor. He has been exhibiting his work for over 25 years, with shows in London, Melbourne, Spain, Denver, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and New York City. He is best known for his steel sculptures which include freestanding pieces, wall-mounted reliefs, and suspended works.   

Born and raised in Long Island, NY, with his mother as a creative influence, Brandon and his family regularly visited New York City’s numerous museums and art galleries. This exposure to world-renowned artists and creative geniuses from an early age ignited Brandon’s fascination with the art world. Curious about the artists and their work, he immersed himself in their autobiographies and was greatly influenced by their stories of surviving life’s challenges to produce what became iconic works. By age 18, Brandon was making his own art. Fascinated with anything that was mechanical he would scavenge scrap yards for metal and spare parts, transforming them into functioning sculptures. Brandon began training in all fields of construction and fabrication, feeding his desire to understand assembly methods and how mechanical objects were made. He learned how to fabricate and manipulate any material that he could apply to his art, including steel, aluminum, concrete, rubber, and wood.

Brandon moved several times, living and studying in Florida, California and Colorado, while also spending extensive periods of time Spain. His art evolved with each location and available material. When Brandon returned to New York in  2001, he was creating large-scale public works, including a multi-store commission by Bloomingdale’s. His massive installations can still be seen in Bloomingdale’s (San Diego, Costa Mesa, Santa Monica, Chestnut Hill, Chevy Chase, SoHo and 59th St. NYC locations). He has commissioned pieces in private collections around the world and his work has appeared in numerous design and style magazines such as ELLE, Modernism, DNR Magazine, Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, InStyle, Men’s Vogue, GQ,  Men’s Health, Marin Magazine, and New York Magazine.  

In 2012, Brandon co-founded the Rockaway Beach Surf Club, a highly regarded and popular event space, bar, and restaurant located in Rockaway Beach, Queens. Brandon’s creativity, technique and aesthetic can be seen throughout the Rockaway Beach Surf Club. Nearly every piece of furniture, from the bar to the outdoor tables to the sliding steel and wood wall, was made by hand with materials salvaged from the destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy. A life-long surfer and passionate ambassador of surf culture, Brandon hosts festivals and curates exhibitions at the Surf Club that showcase the work of surfers and artists from around the world. Supporting the work of emerging artists is one of Brandon’s many passions.

Brandon currently resides in Rockaway Beach, managing the event space and continuing to produce sculptures for private clients.

 

COMPLETED PROJECTS

  • Rockaway Beach Surf Club, NY

  • Dinoasaur BBQ, Brooklyn, NY

  • Wallace K. Harrison Estate/ National Register of Historic Places, Huntington, NY

  • Gansevort Hotel, New York, NY

  • Bloomingdale's, Glendale, CA

  • Bloomingdale's, Santa Monica, CA

  • Bloomingdale's, SOHO, NY

  • Bloomingdale's, Chevy Chase, MD

  • Bloomingdale's, Costa Mesa, CA

  • Bloomingdale's, San Diego, CA

  • Bloomingdale's, Chestnut Hill, MA

  • Bloomingdale's 59th Street, NY

  • DSA Fine Arts, 875 Fifth Ave, NYC

  • Schappacher White Architecture/Design, New York, NY

  • Hixson Architecture Engineering Interiors, Cincinnati, OH

  • Ambrosi, New York, NY

  • Mancini Duffy Architecture/Design, New York, NY

  • RYA Design Consultancy, Dallas, TX

  • Australian Consulate General/Tim Gauci, Milan, Italy

  • Tenjune, New York, NY

  • Western Asset, Pasadena, CA

  • OandD Construction, New York, NY

  • The Stroud Group, Columbia, MD

  • Wyndham Hotel, Lisle, IL

  • Petrometer Corporation, Babylon, NY

  • Parker Clark Executive Recruitment, New York, NY

  • Fountainhead Construction, New York, NY

  • ICRAVE Design, New York, NY

  • Silver Design, New York, NY

  • Merck Pharmaceuticals Research Laboratories, La Jolla, CA

  • Trader Joe's Corporation, Los Angeles, CA

  • Nicholas Applegate, Capital Management, San Diego, CA

  • Centre City Properties, Trudy Stambook, San Diego, CA

  • Art Source L.A., Santa Monica, CA

  • Kristen Victor Design, San Diego, CA

  • Bridget Cantu Wear Fine Art, San Diego, CA

  • Industrial Metal Supply, Corporate Offices, Burbank, CA

  • Oliver/McMillen Developers, San Diego, CA

  • Robin Wilson Design, Jack London Square, Oakland, CA

  • Archstone Communities, Mission Viejo, CA

  • Divan and Studio, La Jolla, CA

  • The Reed Company, Lighting Design Specialists, San Diego, CA

  • Optical Access Incorporated, Denver, CO

  • Jato Corporation, Denver, CO

  • Aulik and Assoc. St. Paul, MN

  • UpTone Music Productions, Dusseldorf, Germany

select Exhibition History 

  • MoMA PS1's Rockaway! June to August 2014

  • Tribeca Film Festival Artist Award Program 2008

  • Kellen Gallery at Parsons The New School for Design, New York, NY April 23 to May 1, 2008

  • Phyllis Stigliano Gallery, "Demobilize" - Solo Exhibition, Brooklyn, NY March 2008

  • Artrageous Bloomingdale's 59th Street New York NY, September 2007 Consisting of 15 day window installation of sculpture and multimedia.

  • Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Show, Atlanta GA July, 2007 In conjunction with Soho Myriad; Exhibition to support the Foundation's efforts to fight breast cancer.

  • Donna Seager Gallery, Group show, San Francisco, CA 2006, 2007

  • NYU - 80 Washington Square East Galleries 29th annual Small Works competition and exhibition - New York NY 2006 - Juror Jack Shainman/ Director, Jack Shainman Gallery - New York, NY

  • Melbourne 2006, Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, Australia 2006 - Represented by Galerie Yoramgil, Los Angeles, CA

  • AAF New York 2006, Metropolitan Pavilion - New York, NY 2006 - Represented by Galerie Yoramgil, Los Angeles, CA

  • Art Sydney 2006, Royal Hall of Industries and Horden Pavilion - Sydney, Australia 2006

  • Art Bristol, 2006, The Passenger Shed, Temple Meads Station - London, England

  • San Francisco International Art Exposition - San Francisco, CA 2005 - Represented by CFA Gallery, San Anselmo, CA - Donna Seager/Director

  • NYU - 80 Washington Square East Galleries 28th annual Small Works competition and exhibition, New York, NY 2005 - Juror: Claudia Stone/ Director, Allan Stone Gallery, New York, NY

  • AAF Contemporary Art Fair, Pier 92 - New York, NY 2005 - Represented by Galerie Yoramgil, Los Angeles, CA

  • Surf Rider Foundation 2nd Annual Charity Art Auction - La Jolla, CA 2003 - Represented by Ronis and Associates Fine Art/Director, Alma Ronis. San Diego, CA

  • Solo exhibition, steel and concrete sculpture - Bridget Cantu Wear Fine Art, San Diego, 2002

  • Addictions - Group show, all media A.K.A. Acme Gallery, San Diego, 2002

  • Self titled show, steel sculpture - Flux Gallery, Denver, CO 2000

  • Untitled group exhibitions, California: Ramsden Morrison Gallery, San Diego, 2003

  • 838 G, Gaslamp, San Diego, 2003

  • Trios Gallery, Solana Beach, 2001

  • DiVan Studio, La Jolla, 2000

  • Ronis and Associates fine art, San Diego, 2000

  • Three Metal Sculptors - Lapis Gallery, Denver, CO 1999

  • Group show, all media - Revoluciones Gallery, Denver, CO 1998

  • Studio 1818, Denver, CO 1999

  • Me.L.Yu Gallery, Denver, CO 1997, 1998

  • Pillow Studios and Sculpture Garden, Denver, CO 1997, 1998, 1999