BRANDI MARLETT
Born 2000, Des Moines, Iowa
EDUCATION
2022 BFA, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
RESIDENCIES
2019 Kunzler Studios, West Des Moines, IA
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2019 Shades of Femininity, Kunzler Studios and Gallery, West Des Moines, IA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025 Environmental Ties II, Space at Mugnuson Park Gallery, Seattle, WA
2017 Teen Academy Group show, Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA
2018 Teen Academy Group show, Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, IA
AWARDS
2018 Grant Woods Legacy Prize
2018 Valley High School Outstanding Artist Scholarship
2018 Iowa State Fair People's Choice Honorable Mention in Painting
Brandi Marlett is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans ceramics, painting, drawing, photography, and printmaking. Primarily known for her oil paintings, she blends natural and human-made environments into imaginative, abstract landscapes that reflect her deep interest in the relationship between people and the world they inhabit.
Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, Brandi earned her BA in Environmental Anthropology and Art from the University of Iowa. Since graduating, she has held several seasonal conservation-based positions across the U.S., an experience that continually informs the environmental themes woven throughout her art. Her work often explores constructed landscapes, the tension between organic forms and digital spaces, and the emotional impact of environmental crises.
Brandi's creative process is intuitive—driven by observation, memory, and experimentation with color and shape. She uses painting as a tool for introspection, critique, and connection, aiming to question the systemic disconnection from nature seen in American city planning and everyday life. Her ongoing project, Overexposure to the Main Character, seeks to build a cohesive body of work that expresses these themes while grappling with feelings of apathy, isolation, and hope for change.
Brandi has received several honors for her work, including the Grant Wood Legacy Prize, and is currently featured in the group show Environmental Ties 2. She continues to evolve her practice, committed to fostering meaningful conversations around nature, community, and the spaces we create.