NinaJohnson

Ferrando was born in 1957 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Although he moved to New York at the age of five, he returned frequently to Santo Domingo throughout his life; his attentive observations of the city and Dominican culture remained central to his artistic practice. Though his career was tragically cut short by his death at age thirty-eight, Ferrando maintained an unwavering commitment to his work, pursuing a singular vision independent of prevailing artistic trends.

Living off Delancey Street, Ferrando was deeply engaged with the nightlife and creative communities of downtown New York, including performing drag at the Pyramid Club on Avenue A. He was closely connected to artists Richard Brintzenhofe, Darrel Ellis, Allen Frame, Malcolm Morley, and Ann Wilson. In 1990, Wilson organized a solo presentation of Ferrando’s work at filmmaker and activist K. K. Kean’s loft at 161 Mulberry Street in New York.

Between 1973 and 1980, Ferrando studied at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, the Brooklyn Museum Art School, and with Guillo Pérez at the Escuela de Bellas Artes in Santo Domingo. Recent exhibitions include Miguel Ferrando, Works on Paper (1975–1995) at CANDICE MADEY, New York (2025); Postcard Palm at EMBAJADA, San Juan, Puerto Rico (2025); The Queer Show, Part I at Hal Bromm Gallery, New York (2024–2025); and Darrel Ellis & Miguel Ferrando at CANDICE MADEY, New York (2024). Luxe, Calme, Volupté, a group exhibition at CANDICE MADEY in 2023, marked the first exhibition of Ferrando’s work in New York since 2000.

Selected solo and group exhibitions include the Boston Center for the Arts; Hal Bromm Gallery, New York; Cooper Union, New York; EMBAJADA, San Juan, Puerto Rico; CANDICE MADEY, New York; the National Arts Club, New York; Visual AIDS, New York; White Columns, New York; and Galerie Ziegler, Zurich.