Ryan Travis Christian’s surreal personal narratives explore the paradoxical relationship between childish cartoons and sinister themes. Inspired by life in his small, suburban-Chicago hometown, Christian’s distinctive visual world has recently expanded to include commentary on current crises across the globe – issues such as immigration, class, depression and the American dream. Influenced by vintage political cartoons and hand-drawn animation, Christian’s monochromatic charcoal drawings contemplate the outdated technological and material nature of the origins of his cartoonish aesthetic.
Christian was born in 1983 in Oakland, Californian USA. He received his BFA from Northern Illinois, USA. Ryan Travis Christian’s exhibitions include the contemporary Art Museum in Raleigh, NC, USA; The Hole, NY, USA; Guerrero Gallery, San Francisco, CA, USA; Halsey McKay, East Hampton, NY, USA; and Cooper Cole, Toronto, Canada. He has been included in group shows in London, Rotterdam, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Hong Kong, New York, Baltimore, Dallas and Los Angeles. His work has been written about in Frieze, Art ltd, Art Papers, New American Paintings, Daily Serving, Indy week and the Associated Press. His works are in numerous private collections worldwide.
Ryan Travis Christian