A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw, Poland, Ranis uses sculpture, installation, video, photography, painting, and public art in an oeuvre that addresses social, political, and environmental themes. The winner of prizes and residencies in the USA, Australia, Europe, Africa, and Asia, he has created large‑scale installations in eight countries and participated in over eighty exhibitions. He teaches sculpture at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA.