MARISSA RACHT RYAN

In the defiance of silence and the embrace of the outspoken, my work finds its voice. This particular body of work, "Resist Much, Obey Little" connects with the unyielding spirit of Frida Kahlo while also being inspired by the liberating verses of Walt Whitman and is a testament to the power of self-expression and the courage to stand against the tides of conformity.

Frida Kahlo, with her unapologetic brushstrokes, painted the struggles and passions of her life, teaching us that in the vulnerability of truth lies the strength of character. Walt Whitman, in his cautionary words, reminds us that liberty is not a state granted, but a life lived in resistance of autonomy. This body of work is my dialogue with the world - a form of physical poetry where each piece is a stanza and each color or texture a metaphor. The sensations that elude the confines of language are given matter and form in my work, capturing the ephemeral and immortalizing the intangible.

Through "Resist Much, Obey Little", I invite viewers to explore the layers of meaning and emotion that lay within. It is a call to awaken the dormant voices within our experiences, to question, to challenge, and to live freely as our truest selves.