Biography

Ryan Hopkins has always had a passion for creativity. Discovering his design and drawing talents at an early age helped him gain admission to Yale University where he focused his attention on Architectural Design and Fine Art. At Yale he was exposed to theories and ideas that would broaden his understanding of art and design, and ultimately help to shape his own philosophy. In his spare time he would travel to nearby Manhattan where he fed his hunger for new ideas by wandering the many museums and galleries. He studied under many world renowned professors including famed art historian Vincent Scully, and attended classes with several well known figures in the art world.

 

After Yale, Ryan worked as a designer for architects and real estate developers but found himself yearning for the freedom of expression that he had discovered as a student. He was tired of drawing "straight lines" for the benefit of others, so he rented an old garage and began experimenting with paint and found materials. His early paintings were were a blend of figuration, abstract expressionism, and collage and can be found in numerous private and corporate collections worldwide.

 

Ryan's philosophy has always been "to discover the never before seen." His newest paintings are meandering experiments in fluidity, explicitly demonstrating the natural interaction of gravity, evaporation and gestural force. His paintings generate beauty from a language of improvisation, by enabling the co-evolution of color, form and texture to achieve a cohesive visual summation.

 

Ryan wants his audience to become active participants in his paintings, letting their imagination find meaning in the visual chaos. His goal is to invent new relationships that seem at first glance to be mistakes. Since there is no art without decision however, Ryan tries to make certain accidents visible, in order to find synthesis where once only the irreconcilable was evident.