DVAA Member since 2022

Christopher Ryan

About:

Christopher Ryan (born in Mobile, AL, 1968) is an international conceptual portrait photographer. The subjects of his work tend to be mostly youth representing diverse identities, ethnicities, religious groups, and trend at the lowest ends of economic standards.

In addition to youth, other works include fine arts nudes and introspective self-portraits spanning half of a century.

Christopher left before finishing

Christopher’s works are influenced by an unusual childhood which was spent working in the family’s traveling reptile show, vacationing at nudist resorts throughout the south, exposed non-stop to racism, and struggling to suppress queerness.

Artist Statement:

The underlying message I try to convey through all of my work is that humans are similar in more ways than we are different. My work has introduced me to a very diverse cast of characters in terms of their ethnicity, nationality, religion, age, gender, socio-economic background, and many more “categories”.

These similarities are often underscored by minimal use of clothing, genuine expressions, bare feet, and simple backgrounds. Generally there is no consideration given to wardrobe, makeup, or styling.

Enrolling subjects throughout more than 20 countries has taught me so much, and I hope that I have shared as much with them. My favorite series is “Youth and Urban Decay” in which I shoot photos of children in abandoned buildings. These places afford extraordinary lighting conditions while offering the models the chance to play and be creative.

Other series are: Youthful Ambition, Nudes in the Landscape, Bizarre Portraits, and Evolutionary Self Portraits.

My biggest contribution to the art world is curating other artistic works alongside my own, such as in my current exhibition "Metamorphosis: From Marginal to Magnificent".