Biography
(b. 1969 in New York, lives and works in New York)
Known for his celebrated large-scale sculptures and public art installations, Will Ryman's sculptural work imbues figurative symbols with a keen sense of narrative and psychological heft. A playwright turned sculptor, his work recalls the absurdist drama and philosophy of post-war France as well as many other strains of history and literature. Will Ryman: America, presented at Paul Kasmin Gallery in 2013, recreated Abraham Lincoln's boyhood cabin painted gold and patterned with found objects, including corn, cotton, coal, bullets and technological ephemera, to explore the origins of capitalism in American history.
In 2011, Ryman's The Roses presented 38 vividly colored pink and red rose blossoms along the Park Avenue Mall. Ryman's Icon was featured in Regent's Park, London as part of the Frieze 2011 sculpture park, and Bird, in New York's Flatiron plaza in the spring of 2013. Ryman’s work has been exhibited internationally, including at solo shows at 7 World Trade Center, New York; The Saatchi Gallery, London; the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York; and P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City, New York, among others.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2013 Will Ryman: America, Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York
2013 Bird, Flatiron Plaza, New York
2012 Will Ryman: Anyone and No One, Paul Kasmin Gallery, New York, NY
2011 – 2012 Will Ryman: Desublimation of the Rose, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Coral Gables, FL
2011 Icon, outdoor public art installation at The Sculpture Park at Frieze Art Fair, London, UK
The Roses, outdoor public art installation Park Avenue Malls 57-67th Street, NY
