Ryan Uy is a self-taught visual artist from the Philippines who discovered his love for painting at age 9. He left his successful career in the corporate world in 2017 to pursue his passion for creating art.

Some of Ryan’s earlier works were watercolor illustrations that evoked a childlike, carefree spirit. He later transitioned to oil pastels and acrylic, and created more dynamic abstract and geometric pieces that displayed a unique juxtaposition of colors.

His first sold-out online exhibit in 2020, Nothing is the Same Again, showed a more mature and thoughtful artist. The pieces were a visual narrative of his personal experiences and struggles, which used paper cranes as an allegory to express longing. The result was a collection that is both poignant and profound.

Over the course of his career, Ryan has continued to experiment on different techniques, eventually finding a style and voice that is uniquely his. He is currently known for creating pieces with mechanical precision that, from afar, one would assume they were made digitally. That, perhaps, is the beauty of a Ryan Uy piece. Its uniqueness catches your attention from a distance, but upon closer inspection, you see [and maybe feel] the passion, dedication, and painstaking process of which it was created. And when you hear the story behind the piece, you learn to appreciate the art and the artist even more.