Ryan Hermogenio, aged 25, hails from Rio de Janeiro and currently resides in Rio Comprido. Graduated in painting from the School of Fine Arts at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Ryan has in his curriculum, in the past, an important starting point for his current professional life: a degree in Game and Digital Entertainment, a course he started and completed between the ages of 15 and 17.
Presently, the artist is a master's student in Visual Arts with a research focus on Visual Languages, and he proposes to investigate the contaminations between contemporary painting and the play of technical images.
"The individual engaging with the device becomes not just a worker but a player."
"To maintain a distinct identity in my painting process, I often incorporate elements reminiscent of gameplay," he explains. His art can be seen as a playful exploration, blending traditional painting techniques with unconventional materials, often drawing inspiration from the color palette and aesthetics of digital games. Ryan also experiments with different support structures and the concept of simulacrum.
"I view the computer as more than just a tool; it's a medium for play and creativity. The individual engaging with the device becomes not just a worker but a player, embodying the concept of 'homo ludens' rather than 'homo faber'," he reflects.
WEB3 and NFTs
The collection "BET: A Pintura no Jogo", present on the Objkt.com platform, is part of works by artists remaining from Hic et Nunc, and gathers pieces that resort to techniques such as collage and photography, always returning to the aesthetic universe of games. "Within the established creative method, I create rules for the game, which allows me to establish its identity," he says. According to the artist, however, during the game, these rules can change.
Ryan explores the border between painting and games, the way one influences the other, broadly speaking. The unmistakable Brazilian essence in his collection "BET: Painting in the Game" is striking. Not for nothing, two pieces were selected for the curatorial Terra Brasilis: A Digital Tapestry of Brazilian Imagination, also on Objkt.com, in 2024. "Loiro Pivete" (Blond Street Kid) and "Inimigos são Troféus" (Enemies Are Trophies) until the date of this publication, are still available for purchase in the primary market.
"For the simulacrum game to work on social networks, it was essential to use an image coming from reality. The photograph is taken in the physical space to then be appropriated by me in the digital environment," he summarizes. In this case, Ryan uses Adobe Photoshop software and internet mechanisms for the construction of these digital paintings.
In the works, the textures on the wall and the way the shadow is projected are not simulations, but reality. Putting the viewer in play at all times, Ryan leads them to the ecstasy of illusion.
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