Studio Visit with Illustrator Ryan Dean - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Studio Visit with Illustrator Ryan Dean - Inside Art with Michael Rose

 

For Providence-based illustrator Ryan Dean, inspiring young people is at the heart of his art practice. The bright and cheerful designs that come from his studio can inspire both those who are young and young at heart. Through January, an immersive exhibition of his work is on view in AS220’s Resident Gallery in Providence and the buoyant show indicates this artist’s signature aesthetic and worldview.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

 

 

Raised in Rhode Island, Dean earned his undergraduate degree from Bates College in Maine, where he focused as much on languages as he did on art. After college, he worked in Istanbul and has continued to find inspiration in his passion for world travel. He went on to earn an MA from Salve Regina University and has worked as an educator, including at University of Rhode Island and Brown. Recent exhibitions have seen his work on view at City Hall Gallery and Brown’s Cohen Gallery. His work is in the collection of the RISD Museum and he has been awarded major grants from MassMoCA’s Assets4Artists program as well as DesignXRI.

 

The work for which Dean is now best known comes via LUMUKU, the brand name for the series of card games he has developed for children’s language learning. Fluent in German and Spanish, Dean pairs his expertise in art and design with his enthusiasm for linguistics in the work he makes for LUMUKU, a name which stands for “love you, miss you, kiss you,” in honor of a past mentor of the artist’s. Through memory games and other popular favorites, Dean’s playful illustrations allow for children and families to learn languages in an approachable way. The series is available via www.lumuku.co, or at Craftland in downtown Providence.

 

 

Speaking of his process of creating illustrations that bear his unique sensibility, Dean said, “When I make a character illustration, my intention is to loosen myself up a bit and have fun with the process, so the drawings are just quick and simple. The simplicity of the designs lends itself well to a print, as the image needs to be broken down into just a few colors created by a limited number of ink passes. Turning these characters into prints is like a fun little puzzle for me to solve afterwards.”

 

Dean creates his illustrations from his home and studio at AS220, where he has been a resident for more than a decade. He credits the Providence arts hub with helping him to learn new things and build his practice as an artist. He says, “It's really hard to imagine what my creative process would be like if I were not part of this community; it's impossible to describe how fortunate I have been to learn from so many creative friends who have been involved here over the years. Although (or perhaps because!) we have wildly different interests, skill sets, and approaches, we grow tremendously as artists when we come together and share about our work.”

 

 

On view through January in AS220’s Resident Gallery at 131 Mathewson Street, Dean is sharing a collection of paintings and shaped panels that bring characters from his LUMUKU card games to life. The show, even seen in passing through the windows of the Mercantile Block, is a bright pop of color in the depths of winter. Some of his characters are shown in traditional paintings and prints, while others break free from the confines of two-dimensional art to bounce around the room. Dean uses a laser cutter to create shaped wood panels that form the basis for these whimsical character studies.

 

 

Asked what he hopes viewers see when they look at his exhibition, Dean says, “I really just want people to feel lighthearted when they are experiencing the exhibition. I placed the artwork in different heights and facets of the gallery so that viewers are invited to spend a bit more time there, uncovering the characters around the space. In a sense, each character tells a little story through their actions that hopefully adds some whimsy, wonder, or humor to people's day.”

 

An engaged public artist in addition to a talented illustrator, Dean’s work has been featured by the City of Cranston and a current installation titled “A Wintry Mix” is on view in the 195 District Park along the Providence River through mid-March.

 

 

Dean is a skilled artist and educator who brings a sense of fun and exploration to the work he is making. Through his craft as an illustrator he is also showing the immense value that art can bring to subjects like language education and global interconnectedness. He is a Rhode Island artist to know and follow.

 

Learn more about Ryan Dean’s work at www.lumuku.co or follow him on Instagram at @lumuku.co