Ryan Lessam felt the need to create from an early age. After high school, this need led him to take Audio Engineering courses in Orlando, Florida. He graduated 2nd in his class from Full Sail University in 1997 and headed straight to New York City. He first worked at Quad Recordings Studio in Times Square, famously known as the first place 2Pac Shakur was shot by…(well, we all know “who shot ya”).
When he first arrived in New York, Lessam slept in one of Quad’s recording studios. Lessam worked in the dynamic hip-hop music industry in New York City from 1998 to 2005. Along with working at Quad, Lessam was a freelance engineer at Unique Recordings and the world-famous Hit Factory. He worked in these world-renowned facilities with artists such as Jay Z, Maria Carey, Timberland, Missy Elliot, Q-tip, and DMX. His success allowed him to open his own recording studio, The Padded Room, in Manhattan’s Garment District, where Ryan focused mainly on Producing and recording acts for his own Independent Label. Ryan was also on the cutting edge of the digital audio revolution in its infant stage from 1998 – 2001. He became one of the top installers of the once-famous Digidesign Pro Tools Systems, now known through its parent company name AVID Pro Tools. Ryan went to the homes of music industry icons to install Pro Tools systems for Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes, and The RZA at the WU Mansion…to name a few.
Even while producing, engineering, mentoring, and managing talented artists for many years, Lessam still felt he wanted to create something by himself from start to finish.
While visiting a musician friend in Chicago in 2009, Ryan fell in love with the city. He moved there in 2010 and was energized by his Wicker Park neighborhood and neighbors. This drove his interest in creating art that Ryan could manage by himself from conception to completion.
In 2014, Ryan took a painting class at Chicago’s famous Lillstreet Art Center to gain some painting knowledge and began making abstractions that reflected his admiration for Jackson Pollock and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
His early work also contained a celebration of child-like imagery and technique inspired by darker Cy Twombly or Joan Miro. An exuberance of expression is consistent in all his work. Whether relating a heavy, meaning-laden communication of rage, anger, and depression or communicating wistful, humorous moods, Lessam’s paintings all possess an energy of creation that is visceral. Earlier pieces almost consistently used intensely lettered words that contribute to the mood of wildly layered colors, forms, fields, splotches and anything that Lessam was feeling, eating or drinking.
Lessam’s technique is so exuberant and expressive that the spaces he paints in are unintentional art works themselves. The walls, ceilings and floors are covered with drips, streaks, splashes that relate the energy Lessam brings to his art.
His latest work contains a maturity that combines expressionism with a subtle hint of implied realism. The canvases are a joy of color and movement that can be appreciated like an opera in a foreign language. You don’t have to understand the opera’s language to feel the sadness, joy, anger, humor or depression. The recent work created by Lessam while on sabbatical in Ohio builds from the excitement of earlier works and has a confidence that creates art that can be reflected on and enjoyed implicitly. But when you read the title, you realize Lessam has captured a wispy spirit of the real world in his painting.
A comparison can be made to Turner’s masterful paintings of ships in a foggy sea where you can barely make out the ship through the beautifully abstract fog. Whereas Turner started with realistic ships in the center of the canvas and in the upper corners beautiful abstract clouds that eventually engulfed the ships, Lessam starts with abstract beauty that eventually reveals an idea of realism. An interesting twist.
And unlike a band that has only one groove in all of its songs, Lessam has a variety of styles that are alike in their energy and power, but different in style and form.
Lessam’s latest work shows a naturally progression from his energetic beginnings and promises there will be more to observe and enjoy as he continues to fulfill his life-long desire to create.
Michael Bordenaro, Chicago, August 2020
For inquiries about purchasing art, or getting Ryan to do custom art for you, contact Ryan Lessam directly at: [email protected]
2025 UPDATE
In 2020, Ryan left Chicago to care for his mother, who suffered a stroke. They moved cross country, living in three different states to obtain proper care for his mother between 2020 and 2025. She has recovered and is now living near her daughters in Cleveland, where Ryan visits regularly. Ryan moved back to Chicago, the place he loves more than anywhere, in November 2024. In 2025, he is working to achieve his long-term goal of being a full-time artist. This goal will be supported by making prints of his original artwork available for the first time. Details about prints available for sale are coming soon. Ryan truly thanks everyone who has supported him and his personal life struggles over the years. He is excited and inspired to pursue his dream of making art full-time. There is much new art to come. Stay tuned.
We Can Only Understand What We Are Shown