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.

Mike Ryczek (b. 1984, Wallingford, CT) graduated from Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, Massachusetts, in 2006 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. He lives and works as a full-time artist and designer in Dedham, Massachusetts. Ryczek has exhibited widely across the U.S. at galleries such as Prince Street Gallery in New York, Gallery1988 in Los Angeles and Ferrera Showman Gallery in New Orleans. Ryczek’s work was selected for a juried exhibition at the Danforth Art Museum in 2015, and it has been featured in Art Maze Mag and by the Jealous Curator. BOOOOOOOM has twice given Ryczek’s work its Editor’s Pick award, and he was a recipient of the 2022 Painting Fellowship from Mass Cultural Council. He is currently represented by 13Forest Gallery in Arlington, MA.