Mike Ryczek

Each of my paintings is a dense collection of layered missteps guided by a single underlying intention. They are semi-realistic interpretations of an imagined environment, employing realism and abstraction to give the impression of a scene on the verge of collapse. The photographic source material I use serves as both a jumping-off point and something to fight against. I try to glean from the source only that which resonates with me and dispose of the rest so as to avoid photorealistic depiction. The ideal result is a reimagining of what is observed, anchored by recurring themes of nostalgia, my own existential anxieties, and the corruption of human memory. I view the painting process as a form of self-examination, with the end product’s value lying in the thoughts, emotions, and memories that I’ve infused with the original source.

Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA / BFA / 2006

SOLO & TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2022 Personal Space / w Chen Peng, 13Forest Gallery, Arlington, MA

2020 Fascination Street, 13Forest Gallery, Arlington, MA

2014 Distant Relatives, Newton Free Library, Newton, MA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2026 Symphony, The Vendue, Charleston, SC

2026 Artrageous: Maximalism, Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA

2026 EX NIHILO, Manifest, Cincinnati, OH

2026 Material Self, 13Forest Gallery, Arlington, MA

2026 Blue / juried by Laisun Keane, University Place Gallery, Cambridge, MA

2025 Artrageous: The Emerald Ball, Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA

2025 Game Over, Memento Mori Gallery, Lakewood, CO

2024 Sci Fi Show / curated by Scott Listfield, Gallery1988 @ Exhibit A Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2023 Plenty 16th Annual Holiday Show, 13Forest Gallery, Arlington, MA

2023 13Forest at 444, Gallery 444, Provincetown, MA

2023 As Luck Would Have It, 13Forest Gallery, Arlington, MA

2023 Artrageous!37 Annual Auction, Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA

2022 Plenty 15th Annual Holiday Show, 13Forest Gallery, Arlington, MA

2022 Contemporary Color / juried by Chloe Wyma, SITE : BROOKLYN, Brooklyn, NY

2021 Plenty 14th Annual Holiday Show, 13Forest Gallery, Arlington, MA

2021 Contemporary Art Sur...