Ryley Clarke

Ryley Clarke (b. 1999) is a Melbourne-based visual storyteller working across photography and film. His practice explores cinematic, affective, and experimental forms to illuminate the tensions and contradictions that shape both society and individual experience. Through a lyrical, documentary approach, Clarke uses the camera as a means of mediation—drawing closer to moments of instability, upheaval, and transformation.

His work often examines coming-of-age narratives, dystopian futures, environmental concerns, self-identity, and familial spaces. Recent projects reflect on growing up in uncertain times and the emotional process of restoring and departing from a childhood home. A graduate of RMIT University, Clarke’s zine Tomorrow was published by the Centre for Contemporary Photography and Perimeter Editions. His work has been widely exhibited and recognised, including as a finalist for the Olive Cotton Award in 2025.

RMIT University, Bachelor of Arts (Photography) (Honours) - First Class, 2023

2023 - Off the Well Worn Path, FortyFiveDownstairs
2023 - Off the Well Worn Path, First Site Gallery
2023 - Off the Well Worn Path, Head-On Photography Festival

2025 - From Somewhere Behind the Pine Trees, Liminal Gallery
2025 - Olive Cotton Award, Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre
2025 - Ephemere Tokyo Photography Festival, Gallery Conceal Shibuya