« EVERYTHING IS IN MY WORK »
RYCA (Ryan Callanan) is an artist working in contemporary printmaking and graphics. Already a prominent artist on the Street Art scene, the last few years have seen Ryan move away from this aesthetic towards a new practice that draws upon his in-depth knowledge of materials and craftsmanship acquired through his training in industrial model making and 3-D design. From the starting point of the emblematic visual sign, Ryan began a series of works using the smiley face synonymous with acid house rave culture in the 1980s. Working in base-relief, this iconic motif was re-contextualized by rendering it in material and style usually associated with traditional pub signs - gold inlay and black lacquered background. This highly technical skill obtained and finessed through Ryan’s parallel career in the sign-making industry.
