Ryan Fenchel is a Los Angeles-based artist with roots in the Midwest. Raised in Chicago, he earned a BFA in Printmaking from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2003 and an MFA in Art Theory & Practice from Northwestern University in 2007.

Fenchel’s work draws from his longstanding interest in the occult, ancient cultures, alchemy, and art history. Annual trips to Japan, beginning in 2005, have also shaped his visual language and approach to composition. His practice has evolved from dark, layered collages and drawings in ink and charcoal to bold paintings made with chalk pastel and oil stick. His recent works depict vessel-like forms through sparse, idiosyncratic layers of color.

Fenchel has presented solo exhibitions at The Landing Gallery in Los Angeles; Carrie Secrist Gallery, Dan Devening Projects, and Vega Estates in Chicago; the Department of Safety in Seattle; and Haw Contemporary in Kansas City. His work has also appeared in group exhibitions across New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Berlin, and Philadelphia.