Drift: coming home

may 15 - june 28, 2025
PRESS RELEASE

Isaac “Drift” Wright’s Sky-High Vision Lands in Chelsea: First-Ever New York City Exhibition opens at Robert Mann Gallery

New York, NY — April 2025 — In a story that bridges survival, serendipity, and soaring ambition, Robert Mann Gallery is proud to present Coming Home the debut New York City exhibition of Isaac “Drift” Wright, the U.S. Army veteran turned urban explorer whose gravity-defying rooftop photography has stunned both digital audiences and the international art world.

Wright, known globally as “Drift,” rose to prominence not through the traditional art world but through silence, steel, and the skyline. After serving in the military and confronting profound personal challenges, Wright began documenting his solitary climbs atop skyscrapers, capturing breathtaking images from vantage points few ever reach. His work, which gained viral traction online was first introduced to the wider public in a powerful 2021 New York Times profile by David Phillips, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist.  That story changed everything.

“It was the kind of piece you don’t forget,” recalls gallerist Robert Mann. “I saw more than just beautiful images, I saw a story of risk, resilience, and revelation. That’s what drew me in. That’s what art is.”

Four years later, that moment of recognition comes full circle. Wright’s first physical exhibition in New York City opens this spring in the heart of Chelsea, curated to reflect the city that has defined, challenged, and inspired him. The show will include the first-ever public display of his photograph taken from the spire of the Empire State Building, among a series of large-format images exploring the architectural intimacy and soaring tension of New York’s skyline. While centered on NYC, the exhibition also includes select works from across the U.S. and around the world, reflecting Wright’s evolution into a globally recognized artist with a singular point of view.

“For me, climbing isn’t about adrenaline, it’s clarity,” said Wright. “Above the noise, you feel invisible and infinite. I’ve been hunted, locked up, written off, but my art gave me a way forward. This show is my first time putting that journey on a wall.”

To properly showcase the breadth and scale of Wright’s vision, Robert Mann Gallery has expanded its exhibition space within its Chelsea location. The larger venue allows for a powerful cross-section of Wright’s work across his signature formats and will better accommodate the strong, loyal following he’s cultivated through social media and digital art platforms.

This exhibition is more than a gallery debut, it’s the culmination of a life reclaimed, a city reimagined, and a lens fixed firmly on the impossible.

Coming Home will run from May 15 – June 28, 2025, at Robert Mann Gallery, 508 West 26th Street, Suite 209, New York, NY. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, May 15, 5-8 PM with the artist in attendance.