Ryan Travis Christian

Born 1983, Oakland, California, USA. Lives and works in Warrenville, Illinois, USA.

Ryan Travis Christian’s formative years were marked by a deep affinity for both music and art. Initially drawn to music, he found himself immersed in the vibrant underground rave and hip-hop scene. It was through this subculture that he encountered the captivating and avantgarde art forms that adorned the mixtapes he eagerly exchanged with his peers.

Ryan Travis Christian’s art delves into surreal personal narratives that intrigately explore the paradoxical interplay between whimsical cartoons and darker, more ominous themes. Drawing inspiration from his upbringing in a small suburban town in Chicago, his visual world possesses a distinct melancholic quality that has evolved beyond mere observation. The artist’s recent artistic endeavours have expanded to encompass thought-provoking commentary on pressing global issues, including immigration, social class, depression, and the elusive concept of the American dream. Vintage political cartoons and the organic essence of his distinctive cartoonish aesthetic serve as notable influences, while his meticulous technique infuses his works with a profound visual weight, heightening the evocative suggestion of unseen forces at play within his imagery.

1983 年出生於美國加州奧克蘭。居住和工作於美國伊利諾州沃倫維爾。

Ryan Travis Christian的成長與音樂和藝術結下不解緣。他最初對音樂感興趣，浸淫在充滿活力的地下狂歡和嘻哈圈子中。正是因為這些次文化，他與同儕交換的歌集錄音帶時被錄音帶上前衛的藝術裝飾而著迷。

Christian的藝術中以超現實風格盡訴私事，巧妙地探索了詼諧卡通與黑暗、不祥之間的自相矛盾。他從芝加哥郊區小鎮長大的經歷中汲取靈感，令他的視覺世界具一絲獨特的憂鬱氣質。這種憂鬱使作品從單純觀察昇華，進而對各種困擾全球的逼切性問題如移民、社會階級、抑鬱症和那遙不可及的美國夢等作發人深省的論述。懷舊政治漫畫和他自然獨特的卡通美學成為他作品的主調，而他精細的繪畫技巧為畫作注入了巨大的視覺重量，更顯畫作背後無形之手的強大。

PREVIOUS EXHIBITIONS

2022
Ruff Times Lately | Galerie Julien Cadet | Paris, France
2021
Fall Apart In My Backyard | Halsey McKay Gallery | East Hampton, NY
2020
HERE COMES THE ROOSTER | Over the Influence | Hong Kong
2019
DANGER IS MY MAIDEN NAME | RossKramer Gallery | New York, NY
BIG BALDY ETC | Arsham/Fieg Gallery | New York, NY
2018
I’m Picking Up Where The California Raisins Left Off | Richard Heller Gallery | Los Angeles, CA
2017
This Shit Is For The Birdies | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL
2014
Check Please | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL
That Ain’t Jazz | Greenpoint Terminal Gallery | New York, NY
2013
American Landscapes and Stuff | Trailer Park Projects | Puerto Rico
Well, Here We Aren't Again | Contemporary Art Museum | Raleigh, NC
2012
The Second Banana | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA
Something Something Black Something | Halsey McKay | East Hampton, NY
John Riepenhoff Experince Presents | RTC Collaborates Pepin Moore | Los Angeles, CA
It Ain't Conceptual | CooperCole | Toronto, Canada

2011
River Rats/RTC Collaborates | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL
Sad Sacks | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA
2010
Well, Time Makes Fools of Us All | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA New Work | POVEvolving | Los Angeles, CA
Antexspagna | EbersMoore | Chicago, IL
2023
Town of Ghosts | AISHONANZUKA | Hong Kong
Tutti Frutti 2 | PLAN X | Napoli, Italy
Friend of a Friend | Reeves Art + Design | Houston, TX
Storage Wars | The Hole | Los Angeles, CA
This is not a pipe, this is the final show | Selenas Mountain | New York, NY
Twice Upon A Time | Gallery 46 | London, UK
The 2023 Western Exhibitions Drawing Biennial | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL
2022
WHAT A DAY! | EVERYDAY MOOONDAY | Seoul, South Korea
The Iconic Edition, Lorin Gallery
CHRONICLES 4 @ KPM BERLIN | Galerie Droste | Berlin, Germany
More psychology! | Ross+Kramer Gallery | New York, NY
HEY! Le dessin | Halle Saint Pierre | Paris, France
Wheel of Life | Hyde Park Art Center | Chicago, IL
2021
The Holiday Collection | End to End Gallery | Hollywood, FL
Satellite Village | Gallery Ascend | Hong Kong
UNIVERSES 4 BY SASHA BOGOJEV | Galerie Droste | Paris, France
LONDON'S BURNING | Ojiri Gallery | London, UK
Summer Summer Group Show | Ross+Kramer Gallery | East Hampton, NY
E2E | End to End Gallery | Hollywood, FL
TEN YEARS | Halsey McKay Gallery | East Hampton, NY
Mixed Pickles 9 | Ruttkowski;68 | Munich, Germany
Nature Morte | The Hole | New York, NY
Masters of Urban Contemporary Art III | End to End Gallery | Hollywood, FL
1988 | Anthony Gallery | Chicago, IL
The Western Exhibitions Drawing Biennial | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL
Best on the Street | End to End Gallery | Hollywood, FL
2020
Deck The Walls - Urban Contemporary Art | End to End Gallery | Hollywood, FL
No Tricks, Just Treats | End to End Gallery | Hollywood, FL
Mixed Pickles 8 | Ruttkowski;68 | Munich
Rectangles, Circles and Squares ...oh my! | End to End Gallery
PostmastersROMA supports Spallanzani Hospital: Benefit Sale | Postmasters Gallery | Roma, Italy
2019
With a Capital P: Selections by Six Painters | Elmhurst Art Museum | Elmhurst, IL
Paper View | The Hole | New York, NY
ART IS WHERE THE HEART IS VOL. 5 | Galerie Droste | Paris, France
ISLAND | Ojiri Gallery | London, UK
2018
Mugs | Club Nutz | Chicago, IL
WILD AT HAND | HVW8 | Berlin, Germany
Sweet Golden Delicious | Northern Illinois Museum of Art | DeKalb, IL Alive With Pleasure | Asya Geisberg Gallery | New York, NY
Immersion | Richard Heller Gallery | Los Angeles, CA
A Tree Falls In The Woods | Hashimoto Contemporary | Berkeley, CA
2017
Joakim Ojanen & Ryan Travis Christian | The Hole | New York, NY
Rover Gallery, Chicago IL
Unapologetic Drawing | Ralph Arnold Gallery, Loyola University | Chicago, IL
Complicated World Views | Metro Gallery | Baltimore, MD
Heatwave | GCAD | St Louis, MO
Zing Zam Blunder | Harbinger Projects | Reykjavik, Iceland
Fake News | CES Gallery | Los Angeles, CA
The Nothing That Is | The Carnegie | Covington, KY
Periscope | Able Baker Contemporary | Portland, ME
Ocotillo | Tyler School of Art | Philadelphia, PA
Underlying System Is Not Known | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL
2016
Em Kejner, Kyle Breitenbach, and Ryan Travis Christian | Harpy Gallery | Rutherford, NJ
Quiet Please | The Inn Gallery | Los Angeles, CA
Velvet Ropes | GIFC Worldwide | New York, NY
Gatherings & Conversations | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA White House, Black Market | Kimberly-Klark | New York, NY
Fence | Threewalls | Chicago, IL
Mysterious Muck | Circuit 12 | Dallas, TX
Happily Until Their Deaths | Narwhal Contemporary | Toronto, Canada
Who ME? | ATAK Gallery | San Francisco, CA
Irving Variety | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA
Selfie | Gallery Steinsland Berliner | Stockholm, Sweden
Group Show | ChinaTown Project | San Francisco, CA
Interface | Water Street Studios | Aurora, IL
Potshop | Tusk | Chicago, IL
Jug Life | Park Life | San Francisco, CA
Drawn and Quarteered: a drawing show in four parts | Contemporary Art Museum | Raleigh, NC
That’s My Trip | Joshua Liner Gallery | New York, NY
Inaugural Exhibition | LeN Field | San Luis Obispo, CA
PRTY PPL | Circuit12 | Dallas, TX
Pareidolia | Red Pipe Gallery | Los Angeles, CA
2015
TL Solien & RTC | LeN Field | San Luis Obispo, CA
2014
Buying Friends | UICA | Grand Rapids, MI
Ghooost Show IV | Imagination Giants | Milwaukee, WI
If They Mated | The Honey Hole | Chicago, IL
I'm Jealous Of Your Failure | University Galleries Illinois State University | Normal, IL
Rocket Run, Abstraction from Chicago | Elder Gallery, Nebraska Wesleyan University | Lincoln, NE
Home At Last | Andres Guerrero Project | San Francisco, CA
We Do What We Like and We Like What We Do | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL
Juxtapoz Psychedelic Release Party | The Well | Los Angeles, CA
Welp | Bowbarr | Carrboro, NC
Head | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL
2013
Tell Them I Hate Them | Greenpoint Terminal Gallery | New York, NY
Group Show | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA
These Friends, Finale | THIS Gallery | Los Angeles, CA
Milestone #1 | Circuit 12 Contemporary | Dallas, TX
2012
Pig Party | 83 Bowery | New York, NY - 2.0 | Nudashank | Baltimore, MD
Black Foliage | Chinatown Arcade | New York, NY
Gin & Juice | Ivory&Black | London, UK
Still Here Now | Mohs Exhibit | Copenhagen, Denmark
Cigarejes, Phone Cards, & Hip Hop Clothing | FFDG | San Francisco, CA
Living By Example | Northeastern Illinois University | Chicago, IL
2011
Scope NYC | Eric Firestone Gallery | New York, NY
Group Show | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA
Double Breaks | Double Break | San Diego, CA
Art We Like | Deer Run | Cambria, CA
This Place In Time | Show and Tell Gallery | Toronto, Canada
Chain Letter | Samson Projects | Boston, MA
Domestic Goods | Eric Firestone Gallery | East Hampton, NY
New Chicagoans | Co-Prosperity Sphere | Chicago, IL
Territories | Marwin | Chicago, IL
SweatBoxing | MAMA | Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Objectivity | Cornish College for the Arts | Seattle, WA
Heads on Poles | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL
2010
AH! Wilderness | EbersMoore | Chicago, IL
Wreck The Walls | Subliminal Projects | Los Angeles, CA
Diverse Chorus | SCOOP | Charleston, SC
A Guide to Salvation | Space 1026 | Philadelphia, PA
PAPER! AWESOME! | Baer Ridgway | San Francisco, CA
Inaugural Exhibition | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA
2009
Infinity | Scion Installation | Los Angeles, CA
East of Eden | Synchronicity | Los Angeles, CA
Enigmatic Shadow | Synchronicity | Los Angeles, CA
CaBoom | Synchronicity | Los Angeles, CA
2008
Titanium Expose | FFDG | San Francisco, CA
Chimera Frontiera | Junc Gallery | Los Angeles, CA
2007
Mutation Nation | D.I.Y. Gallery | Los Angeles, CA
Brown River | Roots & Culture Contemporary Arts Center | Chicago, IL
KlusterCrusts | Butcher Shop/ Dogmatic | Chicago, IL
2006
Where All the D*cks Hang Out | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL

Artist Website