Brad Ellis

 
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American, b. 1958

Brad Ellis is an established American contemporary artist recognized for his richly layered encaustic paintings that explore memory, texture, and the beauty found beneath the surface. Working with molten beeswax, collage, and other materials, Ellis creates luminous abstract works that reveal new details and subtle shifts in light with every viewing.

Throughout his career, Ellis has continually explored abstraction, evolving from tightly rendered, systematic compositions to more intuitive, expressive works. The encaustic medium—combining heated beeswax with pigment and layered collage—allows him to build richly textured surfaces that convey both depth and movement while preserving a sense of discovery within each painting.

"Brad Ellis's paintings convey the reinterpretation of experience. His work brims with hot, unadulterated hues that gives his tropical palette a vigorous workout. He relies on elaborate, asymmetrical armatures to deliver his eye fructose, establishing intricate cross rhythms and dissonant irregularities." — Peter Frank, Art Critic & Curator

Ellis earned his BFA from the University of Tulsa and is represented by galleries across the United States. His work is included in prominent public, corporate, and private collections, including the U.S. Department of State's Art in Embassies Program, where one of his paintings is displayed in the U.S. Ambassador's residence in Kampala, Uganda. His work has also been featured in Texas Abstract: Modern + Contemporary (Fresco Books) and Encaustic Art in the Twenty-First Century (Schiffer).

His paintings are held in public, corporate, and private collections throughout the United States and continue to be exhibited nationally through leading galleries and invitational exhibitions.

 

Career Highlights

  • Featured in the U.S. Department of State Art in Embassies Program 

  • Represented by Craighead Green Gallery for more than two decades 

  • Work included in prominent corporate and private collections 

  • Published in Texas Abstract: Modern + Contemporary 

  • Published in Encaustic Art in the Twenty-First Century 

  • Exhibited nationally in museums and leading galleries