Ryan Callanan, who works in the street scene under the alias of RYCA, is a contemporary artist whose ‘Poptarian’ style combines Street Art, popular culture, and current affairs. Ryan Callanan’s art features playful jokes and political references in refreshing and accessible compositions.
Ryan Callanan, who works in the street scene under the alias of RYCA, is a contemporary artist whose ‘Poptarian’ style combines Street Art, popular culture, and current affairs. Ryan Callanan’s art features playful jokes and political references in refreshing and accessible compositions.
Callanan is a master of experimentation with a signature street style encompassing emojis and pop culture references. He studied Modelmaking at Barking College, Dagenham, before he rose to fame in the street scene and chose his moniker RYCA after producing his first set of 3D smiley faces, emblematic of the 1980s Acid Rave culture. Since then, he has experimented with various processes and different materials, ensuring that his art is constantly developing, and he has perfected the art of adding wit and spirit into his artworks. In 2003, Callanan started working at a sign company, and he now creates pub signs that imitate the Victorian sign aesthetic and are made from glass, resin, gold, and paint. His signs draw on popular quotes and sayings, colloquial and swear words, and song lyrics. His collection of expletive insertions, in which an expletive is inserted into a word, has become a symbol of Ryan’s playful diving into British popular culture. His experimentation with lyrics has resulted in highly collectible editions amongst musicians, music producers, and writers.
“I’m interested in studying, discovering, and experimenting with various processes and technological advances.”
Callanan has exhibited widely in the UK, and abroad, in Miami, Los Angeles, Japan, and Barcelona.
Ben Eine called Callanan a ‘chemist-like artist’.
Callanan was selected to be a British Jubilee Artist, alongside Peter Blake.
Callanan was commissioned to produce the Knot Violence 2010 football world cup in South Africa.
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
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Ryan Callanan (a.k.a RYCA) places much importance on cross referencing within his artwork, combining street art and pop art cultures together. Taking subjects out of their natural context and splicing them with others to create something new while retaining their familiarity, and subtly shifting their meaning. In our Q&A, RYCA answers our burning questions about his new print, his artistic practice, and inspirations. Sufuckinpreme by RYCA What was the inspiration behind your new print, Sufuckinpreme - Diamond Dust? It’s the next in a series of expletives, this one being a take on a great word and iconic ...
