Ryan Jones’s arresting paintings immerse us in stories featuring beautiful women and mysterious, luxurious settings—secluded swimming pools, shadowy rooms with ornate furniture—images infused with fantasy and a hint of noir. Rather than frame faces as in ordinary portraiture, Jones gives us tantalizing glimpses of his subjects, directing our focus toward finer nuances of a scene. As he has noted, his work is a unique “fusion of the real and surreal.”

Silky, sexy and cool, Ryan’s paintings challenge the viewer with a search for an explanation. Jones’ subjects often have a tragic distance and romantic inaccessibility to them leaving us wanting to see more, know more and understand the full story. Maps, travel and daily life are afterthoughts to beauty, eternal dreams and the stillness of life.

Ryan Jones was born in California in 1981 and began his artistic journey at a young age. He currently lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. Classically trained in art at Stanford University, he received instruction by renowned artist Enrique Chagoya and design pioneer Matt Kahn. Jones’ innovative artworks are included in a number of prestigious private collections and have been showcased in galleries and art fairs around the world.