Soilless

Ryan Martin lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area where he attended the California College of the Arts.

Through painting and drawing, Martin creates surreal, dream-like compositions of his subjects. He is influenced by his roots, growing up in Southern California during the 80’s & 90’s, where his pluck choices of hues dominate his artwork. Martin’s portraits are loosely haloed by floral and fauna; these haloes embody his Native American (Mexican/Yaqui) roots, taking the place of warbonnets which are attributed to males and masculinity during Native American rituals. The ring of botanical designs also reference Martin’s Russian heritage, through a reinterpretation of kokoshniks, which are solely attributed to the feminine. Several portraits depict their subjects conflicted within their makeup, in high contrast, between light and dark, and contrasting color. At times the medium is scattered and abstracted within the compositions.

Martin’s artworks also include observation through photography, video and investigations of texture through installation work.

Martin's artwork has been highlighted by numerous media including THE ADVOCATE, CHIC TODAY MAGAZINE, CREATIVE BOOM and THE ART OF MAN. He has exhibited widely across the United States, including CONTEXT, SCOPE & UNTITLED in Miami, and selected for VOLTA NY 2014. His exhibits include three solo shows at Mark Wolfe Contemporary Art in San Francisco and two solo shows at Elizabeth Houston NYC.