Brian Riley

Brian Riley (b. 1972) brings a painter’s eye to photographic portraiture and still life, creating images that fuse classical aesthetics with a contemporary sensibility. Trained in both painting and photography at Cooper Union College, where he earned his BFA in 1994, Riley approaches photography as a form of visual storytelling. His photographs are carefully composed tableaux—whether figural or still life—that reflect an intentional interplay of light, shadow, and form.

In his figural work, Riley captures the male form in evocative, staged scenes that suggest emotional narratives beneath the surface. His models become characters, performing roles within environments shaped by Riley’s direction and vision. These portraits are often imbued with a cinematic quality, inviting viewers to imagine the moments before or after the shutter was clicked. There is a tension between the subject’s vulnerability and strength, producing imagery that is both intimate and theatrically charged.

Riley’s still life compositions extend this same narrative impulse. Pairing organic elements like produce and flora with unexpected objects, he crafts studies that emphasize spatial relationships, texture, and the mood conveyed through minor shifts in arrangement. Each photograph is the result of a meticulous process—sometimes captured in a series of images with subtle changes in perspective or lighting to extract variations in tone and emotion.

Lighting plays a central role in Riley’s practice. He describes photography as “painting with light,” and his work demonstrates a masterful use of illumination to sculpt form and evoke atmosphere. Though he works with predetermined themes and compositions, Riley embraces the spontaneous changes that emerge from interacting with the environment, adapting his set and technique to enhance the expressive potential of each image.

Riley’s work has been exhibited in galleries since 1995 and has appeared in international fine art journals. He represents a generation of artists classically trained in composition and design who also harness the full capabilities of digital photography, producing images that feel timeless while exploring the visual language of the present.