Artists & studios / Independent directory

Ryan Mathern

Ryan Mathern develops large steel sculptures through Prayer Engine, combining new and reclaimed materials with open frameworks and cut-metal imagery. His artist statement describes contrasts between reflective metals and weathering surfaces, often incorporating Tibetan script and mythical creatures. Fire is a material and performance element in these works, illuminating their internal forms and connecting them to participants. Sangbu is a thirty-foot dragon-shaped steel and stainless-steel fire cauldron created for Burning Man in 2009; its documented later presentations include Atlanta-area locations and other festivals. Dragon Fossil, created for Burning Man in 2018, uses concrete, steel and stainless steel in another dragon form. Citipati’s project description presents two nine-foot skeletons beneath a taller fire arch; its multiple Honoraria years are retained as funding/project references rather than one precise completion date.

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