About

  Ernesto Brett Dennison (b. 1996) is an American portrait artist born in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. An Eagle Scout (2014) and graduate of UNC Greensboro (BFA, Photography 2019). His love of photography came from a father with a passion for capturing family moments and documenting vacations. He is a passionate history buff and environmentalist.

  Ernesto's upbringing was strongly influenced by Boy Scouts and the Protestant church. Scouting fostered an interest in dozens of crafts and hobbies, many of which he maintains to this day. It molded him into a quick thinking leader whose first priority has always been people. The church gave him a family. Though no longer a christian, a large part of his motivation in life is geared towards building that level of community, free from the perversions of modern day evangelism.

 Ernesto's undergraduate education carved these themes deeper into who he is. His time at UNC Greensboro allowed him to become involved in many different communities ranging from fraternal organizations to student government, most of which he maintained leadership roles. His formal arts education was best marked by the teachings of Babette Shaw. Her instruction helped him sharpen his technical skills with a camera, and her second wave feminism taught him to consideration for the context of his work.

  His art is best descried as collaborative. His images are inspired by small moments in conversation with the subjects that lead to more intimate portrayals. His ultimate goal in portraiture is to cast each individual in a way their own mother could truly appreciate. Outside of the portrait, the free flowing formlessness of water is a reoccurring theme in his work. His images invoke the resilience and flexibility of a flowing river, which moves around some obstacles and through others.

At his core Ernesto is an agent of Mercy. All the factors that shaped his character revolve around this deed. The purpose behind his art is the medicine, the healing factor we receive from getting to know one another. He creates because it is his joy to do so. His other defining traits are his brash humor and his patience. His identity as a man is highly shaped by his birth sign, Cancer. To him, being a man isn't about strength or respect. It’s about being aware of all that you touch.