Christopher Ryan’s artwork explores the ability of “charged” spaces to contain and convey emotional weight and psychological tension.  Whether working in a highly realist style referencing ancient mosaic floors, or a looser, more spontaneous style of landscape painting and drawing, Ryan is interested in spaces that are laden with suggestiveness and associations, psychological nuance, narrative fragments, or simply rich, heighted visual sensations.

Ryan’s educational background spans Art, Art History, History, and the Humanities.  Ryan received his B.A. in History with an Art History minor from John Carroll University.  He also holds an M.A. in Modern European History from the University of Virginia.  Ryan received his M.F.A. in painting and drawing from a joint program between Studio Art Centers International in Florence, Italy, and Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

Ryan serves as a Professor of Art & Design at Hiram College in northeast Ohio.  He teaches all levels of painting, drawing and 2-D design, and serves as Director of the Gelbke Fine Arts Center Gallery. Ryan has exhibited his work in solo exhibitions and curated and juried group shows in Italy, France, and the U.S.