Bio

Born and raised in the greater Chicagoland area, Ryan Schude cut his teeth climbing trees, riding bikes, and trying not to raise Cain. Living and working up and down California since 1997, he has maintained a residence in Los Angeles for the last 15 years. While large scale, tableaux vivants have become a cornerstone in his approach, Schude continues to apply the narrative tradition to a range of applications in portraiture and motion pictures. Blending influences from cinema, literature, and street photography, the productions often focus around a single, wide image of a distinct location, telling stories of multiple characters in a single frame. Frome there, individual portraits are taken of each character and shown together as a series with an interconnected theme. Solo exhibitions include Paris (2008), Santa Monica (2014, 2019), Istanbul (2014, 2017), and Seoul (2020). The Amorepacific Museum of Art in Seoul acquired 5 pieces for their permanent collection in 2015. His debut monograph was published by Roads (Dublin) in 2015 and he is currently working on a new book about small museums in and around Los Angeles. Select awards include Prix de la Photographie (2008, 2012-14), Photo District News (2008, 2012), Magenta Foundation (2009), Creative Review (2015), American Photography (2013, 2018), Art Director’s Club (2008), and International Photography Awards (2014). Outside of a gallery, the best place to view work is at ryanschude.com