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Born 1983, Oakland, California, USA. Lives and works in Warrenville, Illinois, USA. Ryan Travis Christian’s formative years were marked by a deep affinity for both music and art. Initially drawn to music, he found himself immersed in the vibrant underground rave and hip-hop scene. It was through this subculture that he encountered the captivating and avantgarde art forms that adorned the mixtapes he eagerly exchanged with his peers. Ryan Travis Christian’s art delves into surreal personal narratives that intrigately explore the paradoxical interplay between whimsical cartoons and darker, more ominous themes. Drawing inspiration from his upbringing in a small suburban town in Chicago, his visual world possesses a distinct melancholic quality that has evolved beyond mere observation. The artist’s recent artistic endeavours have expanded to encompass thought-provoking commentary on pressing global issues, including immigration, social class, depression, and the elusive concept of the American dream. Vintage political cartoons and the organic essence of his distinctive cartoonish aesthetic serve as notable influences, while his meticulous technique infuses his works with a profound visual weight, heightening the evocative suggestion of unseen forces at play within his imagery. SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2022 Ruff Times Lately | Galerie Julien Cadet | Paris, France 2021 Fall Apart In My Backyard | Halsey McKay Gallery | East Hampton, NY 2020 HERE COMES THE ROOSTER | Over the Influence | Hong Kong 2019 DANGER IS MY MAIDEN NAME | RossKramer Gallery | New York, NY BIG BALDY ETC | Arsham/Fieg Gallery | New York, NY 2018 I’m Picking Up Where The California Raisins Left Off | Richard Heller Gallery | Los Angeles, CA 2017 This Shit Is For The Birdies | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL 2014 Check Please | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL That Ain’t Jazz | Greenpoint Terminal Gallery | New York, NY 2013 American Landscapes and Stuff | Trailer Park Projects | Puerto Rico Well, Here We Aren't Again | Contemporary Art Museum | Raleigh, NC 2012 The Second Banana | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA Something Something Black Something | Halsey McKay | East Hampton, NY John Riepenhoff Experince Presents | RTC Collaborates Pepin Moore | Los Angeles, CA It Ain't Conceptual | CooperCole | Toronto, Canada 2011 River Rats/RTC Collaborates | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL Sad Sacks | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA 2010 Well, Time Makes Fools of Us All | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA New Work | POVEvolving | Los Angeles, CA Antexspagna | EbersMoore | Chicago, IL GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2025 KALEIDOSCOPE | AISHO | Hong Kong 2023 Town of Ghosts | AISHONANZUKA | Hong Kong Tutti Frutti 2 | PLAN X | Napoli, Italy Friend of a Friend | Reeves Art + Design | Houston, TX Storage Wars | The Hole | Los Angeles, CA This is not a pipe, this is the final show | Selenas Mountain | New York, NY Twice Upon A Time | Gallery 46 | London, UK The 2023 Western Exhibitions Drawing Biennial | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL 2022 WHAT A DAY! | EVERYDAY MOOONDAY | Seoul, South Korea The Iconic Edition, Lorin Gallery CHRONICLES 4 @ KPM BERLIN | Galerie Droste | Berlin, Germany More psychology! | Ross+Kramer Gallery | New York, NY HEY! Le dessin | Halle Saint Pierre | Paris, France Wheel of Life | Hyde Park Art Center | Chicago, IL 2021 The Holiday Collection | End to End Gallery | Hollywood, FL Satellite Village | Gallery Ascend | Hong Kong UNIVERSES 4 BY SASHA BOGOJEV | Galerie Droste | Paris, France LONDON'S BURNING | Ojiri Gallery | London, UK Summer Summer Group Show | Ross+Kramer Gallery | East Hampton, NY E2E | End to End Gallery | Hollywood, FL TEN YEARS | Halsey McKay Gallery | East Hampton, NY Mixed Pickles 9 | Ruttkowski;68 | Munich, Germany Nature Morte | The Hole | New York, NY Masters of Urban Contemporary Art III | End to End Gallery | Hollywood, FL 1988 | Anthony Gallery | Chicago, IL The Western Exhibitions Drawing Biennial | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL Best on the Street | End to End Gallery | Hollywood, FL 2020 Deck The Walls - Urban Contemporary Art | End to End Gallery | Hollywood, FL No Tricks, Just Treats | End to End Gallery | Hollywood, FL Mixed Pickles 8 | Ruttkowski;68 | Munich Rectangles, Circles and Squares ...oh my! | End to End Gallery PostmastersROMA supports Spallanzani Hospital: Benefit Sale | Postmasters Gallery | Roma, Italy 2019 With a Capital P: Selections by Six Painters | Elmhurst Art Museum | Elmhurst, IL Paper View | The Hole | New York, NY ART IS WHERE THE HEART IS VOL. 5 | Galerie Droste | Paris, France ISLAND | Ojiri Gallery | London, UK 2018 Mugs | Club Nutz | Chicago, IL WILD AT HAND | HVW8 | Berlin, Germany Sweet Golden Delicious | Northern Illinois Museum of Art | DeKalb, IL Alive With Pleasure | Asya Geisberg Gallery | New York, NY Immersion | Richard Heller Gallery | Los Angeles, CA A Tree Falls In The Woods | Hashimoto Contemporary | Berkeley, CA 2017 Joakim Ojanen & Ryan Travis Christian | The Hole | New York, NY Rover Gallery, Chicago IL Unapologetic Drawing | Ralph Arnold Gallery, Loyola University | Chicago, IL Complicated World Views | Metro Gallery | Baltimore, MD Heatwave | GCAD | St Louis, MO Zing Zam Blunder | Harbinger Projects | Reykjavik, Iceland Fake News | CES Gallery | Los Angeles, CA The Nothing That Is | The Carnegie | Covington, KY Periscope | Able Baker Contemporary | Portland, ME Ocotillo | Tyler School of Art | Philadelphia, PA Underlying System Is Not Known | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL 2016 Em Kejner, Kyle Breitenbach, and Ryan Travis Christian | Harpy Gallery | Rutherford, NJ Quiet Please | The Inn Gallery | Los Angeles, CA Velvet Ropes | GIFC Worldwide | New York, NY Gatherings & Conversations | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA White House, Black Market | Kimberly-Klark | New York, NY Fence | Threewalls | Chicago, IL Mysterious Muck | Circuit 12 | Dallas, TX Happily Until Their Deaths | Narwhal Contemporary | Toronto, Canada Who ME? | ATAK Gallery | San Francisco, CA Irving Variety | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA Selfie | Gallery Steinsland Berliner | Stockholm, Sweden Group Show | ChinaTown Project | San Francisco, CA Interface | Water Street Studios | Aurora, IL Potshop | Tusk | Chicago, IL Jug Life | Park Life | San Francisco, CA Drawn and Quarteered: a drawing show in four parts | Contemporary Art Museum | Raleigh, NC That’s My Trip | Joshua Liner Gallery | New York, NY Inaugural Exhibition | LeN Field | San Luis Obispo, CA PRTY PPL | Circuit12 | Dallas, TX Pareidolia | Red Pipe Gallery | Los Angeles, CA 2015 TL Solien & RTC | LeN Field | San Luis Obispo, CA 2014 Buying Friends | UICA | Grand Rapids, MI Ghooost Show IV | Imagination Giants | Milwaukee, WI If They Mated | The Honey Hole | Chicago, IL I'm Jealous Of Your Failure | University Galleries Illinois State University | Normal, IL Rocket Run, Abstraction from Chicago | Elder Gallery, Nebraska Wesleyan University | Lincoln, NE Home At Last | Andres Guerrero Project | San Francisco, CA We Do What We Like and We Like What We Do | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL Juxtapoz Psychedelic Release Party | The Well | Los Angeles, CA Welp | Bowbarr | Carrboro, NC Head | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL 2013 Tell Them I Hate Them | Greenpoint Terminal Gallery | New York, NY Group Show | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA These Friends, Finale | THIS Gallery | Los Angeles, CA Milestone #1 | Circuit 12 Contemporary | Dallas, TX 2012 Pig Party | 83 Bowery | New York, NY - 2.0 | Nudashank | Baltimore, MD Black Foliage | Chinatown Arcade | New York, NY Gin & Juice | Ivory&Black | London, UK Still Here Now | Mohs Exhibit | Copenhagen, Denmark Cigarejes, Phone Cards, & Hip Hop Clothing | FFDG | San Francisco, CA Living By Example | Northeastern Illinois University | Chicago, IL 2011 Scope NYC | Eric Firestone Gallery | New York, NY Group Show | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA Double Breaks | Double Break | San Diego, CA Art We Like | Deer Run | Cambria, CA This Place In Time | Show and Tell Gallery | Toronto, Canada Chain Letter | Samson Projects | Boston, MA Domestic Goods | Eric Firestone Gallery | East Hampton, NY New Chicagoans | Co-Prosperity Sphere | Chicago, IL Territories | Marwin | Chicago, IL SweatBoxing | MAMA | Rotterdam, The Netherlands Objectivity | Cornish College for the Arts | Seattle, WA Heads on Poles | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL 2010 AH! Wilderness | EbersMoore | Chicago, IL Wreck The Walls | Subliminal Projects | Los Angeles, CA Diverse Chorus | SCOOP | Charleston, SC A Guide to Salvation | Space 1026 | Philadelphia, PA PAPER! AWESOME! | Baer Ridgway | San Francisco, CA Inaugural Exhibition | Guerrero Gallery | San Francisco, CA 2009 Infinity | Scion Installation | Los Angeles, CA East of Eden | Synchronicity | Los Angeles, CA Enigmatic Shadow | Synchronicity | Los Angeles, CA CaBoom | Synchronicity | Los Angeles, CA 2008 Titanium Expose | FFDG | San Francisco, CA Chimera Frontiera | Junc Gallery | Los Angeles, CA 2007 Mutation Nation | D.I.Y. Gallery | Los Angeles, CA Brown River | Roots & Culture Contemporary Arts Center | Chicago, IL KlusterCrusts | Butcher Shop/ Dogmatic | Chicago, IL 2006 Where All the D*cks Hang Out | Western Exhibitions | Chicago, IL