Rob Ryan’s practice is based around the cutting and removal of paper to produce images and pattern within a single sheet of card. The works are characterised by an intricate and detailed physical structure, which is echoed by an equally lacy and delicate emotional centre within the pieces.

Clients


Rob has worked for many notable clients, including Vogue, Paul Smith, LG Electronics, Quicksilver, Mute Records and Liberty’s of London.

Rob was chosen to take part in our 'Watch This Space' exhibition by Giles Brenard, Creative Director at the Guardian.

Relatively few illustrators develop a style so distinctive
that their work is instantly identifiable as their own, but Robert Ryan is one of that select group. His background was originally in printmaking, screenprinting and painting but it is his more recent work, using paper cuts, that I find so original and intriguing.

It’s difficult to be certain where I first saw his illustrations – it could have been his book cover for John Harding’s novel on a shelf at Waterstones, or the posters he designed for the folk night in my local pub The Three Kings – but they immediately caught my eye. For me, it was the use of the paper cuts that first appealed, a technique that gives a folksy, hand-crafted feel and brings the paper to life.

But the illustrations themselves are also irresistible, adding to that homemade feel whilst being whimsical and heartfelt at the same time.

Robert Ryan is above all a storyteller – his words and images are almost like snapshots from a fairy-tale – and their timelessness and romanticism are a fantastic antidote to the relentless march of modernity."

- Giles Brenard, Creative Director, Guardian Creative

Giles Brenard, as creative director of Guardian News & Media’s in-house agency, Guardian Creative, oversees a wide range of design for the company’s commercial departments. This includes everything from press advertising and direct mail, to graphic design for the events department and other internal clients. He regularly commissions illustration for projects and is a big supporter of hand-drawn illustration in particular.