Ryan Carlson

Alabama Invitational 2023 – Exhibiting Artist

My work is a reflection of a deep connection I feel to nature. I’m constantly inspired by its colors, patterns, textures, and light. Time outdoors is just as much a part of the creative process as sketching ideas or constructing pieces. My intention is not to replicate these landscapes or the flora and fauna that inhabit them. I want to take that inspiration and create something completely new—something that could exist alongside them or in its own unique world. 

My current body of work is titled The Light Within. It’s rooted in the idea of transmigration, the transfer of a soul from one being to another after death. The title suggests that our souls are a light that never burns out. We all age, break down and eventually die, but that inner light lives on. 

I want a harmonious balance between the work’s theme and the materials/processes I use to create it. Using natural materials in the work points to new life/new beginnings. Bones and rust point to death and decay. Like the theme itself, the work has an entire life cycle contained within it.