About Ralph Pugay

Ralph Pugay’s art revels in raucous tension, transforming the everyday through a blend of humor and discomfort that pushes familiar scenes into strange, disarming territory. Influenced by religious iconography, non-Western pictorial traditions, and the frenetic worlds of internet culture, comics, and video games, his brightly colored, playful paintings turn recognizable scenarios into fractured reflections of contemporary life. Drawing from his experiences as an immigrant and queer artist, Pugay layers daydreams with keen observations to create tableaus that provoke fresh perspectives on belonging, identity, and normativity, wielding a sharp wit that both unsettles and provokes reflection.

Ralph Pugay (b. 1983 in Cavite, Philippines; based in Portland, OR)
has exhibited his work in solo and group exhibitions across the US, including such venues as Adams & Ollman, Portland OR; Cristin Tierney, New York NY; AA|LA, Los Angeles, CA; Vox Populi, Philadelphia PA; Seattle Art Museum, Seattle WA; Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City UT; Marinaro, New York NY; Ditch Projects, Eugene OR; among many others. He is the recipient of several awards including a Ford Family Foundation Rauschenberg Fellowship, the 2015 Betty Bowen Award, Seattle Art Museum; an Oregon Arts Commission Fellowship, and a Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Award.

Pugay has been in residence at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Madison, ME; the Rauschenberg Residency, Captiva Island, FL; the Joan Mitchell Center, New Orleans, LA; Crow's Shadow Golden Spot Residency Program, Pendleton, OR, and Creative Exchange Lab, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, Portland, OR. Pugay holds a BA and MFA in Contemporary Art Practice from Portland State University, Portland, OR. Alongside his studio practice, he has undertaken number of socially engaged community and public art projects and has worked as an art educator, most recently as head of the Studio MFA Program at Portland State University (2019-2021).