ARTIST OF THE SUMMER - RYAN WILLIAMS
RYAN WILLIAMS
Artist Statement
Art is an expression of how I interpret the people around me. Ever since I knew I had the ability to create, it’s all that I’ve wanted to do. Growing up in Houston, Texas, I was influenced a lot by my southern culture; a blend of urban and rural life. In my artwork I like to exaggerate moments in time and the way they have affected me. Each piece that I create is associated with a person, or a moment that left such an impact on me I felt the need to capture it through painting or sketching. This is how I journal and make a moment tangible and visible to more than just myself.
Even with a desire to create, I have always tried to be more “practical” and invest in a career that will provide guaranteed income. During my freshman year of college, I enrolled into Louisiana State University as a Graphic Design Major to combine my passion with a career path I felt guaranteed me a job post-graduation. However, as the semesters passed, I found myself unhappy with the decision I made. Every day I would go home and avoid doing my projects by painting and sketching portraits of different classmates. After I decided to move home to Houston and finish up my bachelor’s degree, I decided to follow my gut and major in Studio Art. I took the leap because I honestly can’t see myself doing anything else. My goal is to change the way we label people based on ethnicity or gender, and tastefully portray individuals from all walks of life, highlighting all forms of beauty. I think art is the most powerful tool to encourage individuality, and the tolerance of differences.
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THE VERY SEXY ARTWORK OF RYAN WILLIAMS
“Between A Rock And A Hard Place”
Inspired by the well-known quote, “Stuck between a rock and a hard place.” This painting reflects my ideas of youth. Today, many of us have every available resource needed to succeed, yet we still feel lost, even with opportunities presented to us. “Between a rock and a hard place” describes my interpretation of this dilemma – offering at least two possibilities, neither of which are ideal. With this concept in mind, I re-appropriated an image of a close friend. With his back facing the audience, the figure stares off into what appears to be a paradise. He longs to find his own utopia, but first he must climb.
Titled “Maliah”
This painting was inspired by the well-known dancer in Houston, Texas, Maliah Michel. Maliah’s body type and features capture the essence of the Louisiana Creole woman, with whom I so deeply admire. Growing up in a Creole family, I was constantly surrounded by these women admiring their beauty, strength, and sex appeal. I chose Maliah as my subject because she embodies some of those characteristics, and yet is unapologetic of her sexuality. She in fact flaunts it, showcasing her vanity and sexuality.
“POW”
Inspired by Alicia Key’s poem “Prisoner of Words Unsaid”
One evening, I was doing a live painting at a bar in Houston and I painted this woman smoking with the word POW escaping the cigarette. It was my way of capturing the way we tend to use certain things like cigarettes, alcohol, and food to pacify us and keep ourselves quiet. A man I’d never met approached me and told me that the painting reminded him of the poem “Prisoner of Words Unsaid” by Alicia Keys and that I should read it. I was amazed by how much this poem put into words exactly what I intended to portray.
“Which one are you”
This image represents my conflicted feelings following a break up. This concept is represented abstractly by the contrast of a lit cigarette and a blow pop. Both can be acquired commercially, both offer a temporary sensation, and can be addictive in nature. One is sweet and juicy, while the other marked dangerous and deadly. We all know their temporary satisfaction could potentially yield consequences, yet we can’t get enough of either. Much like an unhealthy romantic relationship, temporary moments of bliss negate the dysfunctions of the relationship. This image begs the question, which vice would you choose?
“Jesse”
This piece is inspired by someone very close to me. His features, both feminine and masculine, exist in harmony. Challenging societal gender norms is something that interests me as an artist. Wanting to represent my subject as the truest form of self – I captured him in an intimate setting to inspire the viewer to also view all people, regardless of gender, as human and beautiful.
“Coffee”
I woke up early one morning with an amazing feeling of contentment shooting through my veins like coffee; this always leads me to sketching. While sketching with one of my very close friends, I had realized that I woke up so content, because I went to bed appreciating my life. This appreciation was due to a simple conversation the night before with friends over our lives, spirituality, and relationships. We need people around us to remind us of the beauty of living. I looked up at my friend that morning who was drinking a cup of coffee and smoking a cigarette, and instinct told me to capture this moment forever.
“Young East African Girl”
Often times I use my sketchbook as a journal. This is a sketch of one of my closest friends who I’ve always admired for her beauty and animated personally. When I think back on this moment I remember the amazing times we had and the impact that those experiences have made on the person that I’ve become.
“Katie”
This was inspired by a close friend of mine that I met in undergrad. This is a part of my journal where I document people that have made an impact on my life. My work is self narrative; the people I meet who inspire and intrigue me, I document them.
Commission for New York photographer Ean Nigel