What’s Going On | RYAN HORTON

The complexities of life can be simplified through the use of design elements such as squares and circles layered with images and line drawings. These minimalistic elements allow me to present the intricacies of my life experiences of being categorized in a world in which I was never meant to fit in nor choose to conform.

In this world where I have to adapt my image and expression to fit within my environment, my identity continues to fragment. My collage work uses selected features while others remain hidden or obscured. Although the portraits are not whole, they still highlight the beauty of Black features and the strength in their expression. With time, I have grown to appreciate myself and my black expression. The use of elongated black figures in the pieces represents my black presence in spaces while also highlighting the exaggerated overthinking that I express in throughout my artist process. The single line faces them to show the internal complexities I encounter and carry daily.