Robert Andy Coombs was born and raised in Michigan’s upper peninsula in a little town bordering Wisconsin. Being a closeted gay male in a conservative rural environment, Coombs couldn’t wait to leave his small town behind. He received a scholarship to Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids where he studied photography and started living authentically as a gay male. In 2009, during a trampoline training accident, Coombs landed on the back of his neck resulting in a spinal cord injury. After a short year at home, Coombs returned to KCAD in 2010 and completed his BFA in 2013. During those years, disability and sexuality emerged as a main subject for him. He then went to study at the Yale University School of Art where he continued the exploration of disability and sexuality with a focus on documenting his intimate relationships with friends and lovers. After receiving his MFA in 2020, Coombs relocated to Miami, Florida where he continues his photographic practice in the sun.