Ryan M. Wispinski

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Ryan M. Wispinski was born in 1973 in Edmonton, Alberta, into an artistic and creative family. He had no formal arts education, and art classes growing up acted as an excuse to not get into trouble. He never got the chance to graduate, instead spending time inside a mental health institution, where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Ryan has for many years advocated for the state and conditions of mental health care and its de-stigmatization.

In 2009, he was awarded the educator of the year award by CMHA, nominated by the students and faculty of the U of A from the Corbet Hall Occupational Health programs. He was flown up to Whitehorse, to speak at an international conference on mental health and spirituality.

Ryan M. Wispinski has participated in various outdoor shows in Edmonton over the past 30 years, including the Fringe Festival, Arts from the Unknown, Winter Lights Festival, and several Whyte Ave Art Walks. He has been honoured in numerous woodcarving shows and competitions. He contributed to illustrations for a series of books on Greek mythology in 1994 and has had his work featured in a log cabin magazine in 2003.

In 2001, Ryan was studying Buddhist meditation under the guidance of the late Lung Phor Viryang Siranthero. After visiting the Dhammamongkol Temple in Bangkok, Thailand, Ryan created a carving of Lungh Phor, made from a photo that caught his eyes on the first day he entered the temple:

"I was moved by the grace, kindness and gentle dignity and composure in the photo […] The moment I saw that, I was moved by two desires. One, to create a carving of this photo. Two, to be able to have that similar poise as he, so as to be able to create peaceful change, simply by being present in a space."

Ryan did achieve the carving as he hoped for, and says he is still working on the other part.

“Life is my teacher. Everything has been a part of my lessons. I am not "self-taught,” I am still trying to learn.

Scholastic education: big fail. Life education: great success!”

We Will ART YOU!

The Westin Edmonton, 10135 100 St NW, Edmonton

ARTIST STATEMENT

There have been pieces of contention, Carvings I have made that have angered, scared, or both.

There are pieces which make people laugh, cry or just stand there blinking.

To this I will say.

To judge on a single piece, you must still observe the artist and arts as a whole. There is no carving, which I plan.

I only ever start. With the piece of wood or blank canvas. No ideas whatsoever that will reveal itself to my mind’s eye.

With an illustration, it’s not until the ink begins to flow. With carvings, it's not usually until after the first 3 to 7 cuts, at which point Its entirety comes into my mind, clear as a vision before me, already there. Sometimes carvings are really just a constant state of correction of continual mistakes. Other times it’s like a force of energy moving through me.

I become charged and focused. Sense of time, body, pain and all else drift away. It can be intense, and exhausting and painful afterwards, but always worth the effort.

I am an intuitive.

Connected.

I listen with my heart, it's where all my works, whatever they be, come from.

The source, this infinite beauty of the world and the universe which holds us in this cocoon of mortal life.

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