Brett Ryder

Brett was born in Norfolk, England. He studied at Camberwell College of Arts and St Martin’s. Brett has been represented since 1994, since the first year of the agency. There was an idea to take on a graduate each year, but Brett was the first and last of such a scheme and therefore, as ever, unique.

Brett’s mixture of collage, drawing, photography and Photoshop makes it difficult to tell where one medium ends and another begins. The work is intriguing and it’s difficult to extrapolate reference points which is unusual in a style that is so consistent. If the alchemy of how his artworks are created remains a slight mystery, so does their conception. Everything starts with a pencil sketch but where the ideas come from is just a very active place in Brett’s furtive mind.

Whilst the end results are nimble and eloquent, Brett is a grafter. That’s not to say things are labored over, but he enjoys whatever brief might come his way as long as it’s a challenge, a trade magazine is as interesting as a record cover. The fast turnaround times and oblique briefs of editorial work are something that Brett thrives off and always has running alongside larger projects. He has illustrated several weekly columns in the past including for The Times and The Telegraph and currently works on the Schumpeter column for The Economist, a regular column for Oprah Magazine and the foreword for Brummell Magazine He’s also been producing a monthly artwork for Health Affairs ‘Narrative Matters’ podcasts since 2009. Beyond the ever present editorial work, Brett has worked on advertising campaigns, packaging, products, books and corporate work. His artwork has been used for the packaging of twenty plus varieties of Dr. Stuart’s herbal teas, the exterior artworks extolling the virtues of the drinks. He travelled to China, as the client’s guest as part of his commission for Nongfu spring water, creating packaging artworks as and a permanent installation at the factory’s visitor centre, that reflect the four seasons and depict the wild species that inhabit the Changbai Mountain where the water is sourced.

In a change of tone, Brett has created interiors and identity work for hospitality tents at Glastonbury Festival. His work has been animated for ads for Itau BBA of Brazil and Nongfu, and sales presentations for Harper Collins. He has created character designs for Aardman and print advertising campaigns for Nestea Iced Tea, the Affordable Art Fair, Johnnie Walker, Coca-Cola and Barclays. His succinct ideas, often enlightening dry subject matter has regularly been sought after by corporate clients, creating image libraries for BDO Stoy Hayward amongst other independent law firms and financial companies. Again, in what might seemingly be in complete antithesis, Brett has been commissioned for album covers, theatre posters for Fifth Avenue Theatre and limited edition licenced film posters for Handmade Films’ The Time Bandits. Most recently his work has been recreated into 3d models, worked on by make-up artists for the window displays of Fortnum & Mason.