Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Ryan Shepherd is a student of Expressionism, using art to express feelings in ways language cannot. Drawing from his knowledge of psychology, he questions the ways he sees himself, those close to him, and the dreams he has. Questions such as, “Do I glorify others?” “Do I treat myself with respect?” and “Where is the beauty in pain” consume his thoughts. Ryan draws inspiration from Postmodernists such as Basquiat, and cartoonists such as Will Eisner and Charles Schulz. These artists epitomized what he is working towards. His work is heading more to social realism, magical realism, and cartoons, if those can be reconciled at all. He wants to explore psychological themes in a healthy way, yet not be afraid to dive deeper into the darker part of his mind. Yet always, he wants the overwhelming theme to be love.
