About My Work
I am a contemporary figurative studio artist interested in exploring the dynamics of human relationships, family systems, social expectations, identity formation and intergenerational trauma. My approach always stems from deeply personal experiences that then become layered, literally and metaphorically, with more universal themes and ideas. These layered themes are often depicted as narratives that are disrupted in some way; by other narratives, contrary or supporting ideas, images, visual languages and concepts. Realism and ambiguity collide in my work, as do storylines, creating an amalgam of imagery that that is meant to challenge the viewer to look at commonly accepted situations and ideas differently, and to pose questions on the assumptions we unthinkingly may make about social norms and behaviors.
I am a professional studio artist and Professor of Art in Drawing and Painting at California State University-Fresno
http://www.fresnostate.edu/artshum/artanddesign/faculty-staff/stephanieryan.html