Joseph Renda Jr

Chicago painter and muralist Joseph Renda Jr. juxtaposes painstakingly realistic images against audacious surrealistic flourishes to illuminate the interconnectedness of all living things.

Joe, who claimed first-place honors in the 2012 Congressional Art Competition, entered the American Academy of Art with a focus on illustration before embracing fine art and oil painting. Joe made his Vertical Gallery debut in late 2017 as part of an all-star holiday pop-up event, returning the following July alongside fellow Windy City up-and-comers Pizza in the Rain and CROP in the trio show ‘Counterparts.’

In mid-2020 Vertical presented ‘Biophilia,’ Joe’s first-ever solo gallery show, followed two years later by ‘Larger Than Life,’ which explored humankind’s outsized impact on nature. “I’ve always been in love with the Surrealists, but they were about what was going on in the subconscious,” Joe says. “That’s not how I create. It doesn’t come from the subconscious — it comes from the outside world.” Joe has also curated multiple Vertical group shows, including ‘Water the Plants!’ (2021), ‘Atomic Number 13’ (2021), ‘Atomic Number 13 Part 2’ (2022) and ‘Ode To…” (2023). In September 2025, he co-headlined ‘The Scenic Route’ opposite Laura Catherwood and Jerome Tiunayan.