Visual Art | KRISTI RYBA | Charleston County

Winner of the 2020 South Arts State Fellowship for South Carolina and a 2018 ArtFields second place award, Ryba’s work has been touring the Southeast in painting and printmaking exhibitions since 1990. A Magna cum laude graduate of the College of Charleston, Ryba also studied at Vermont Studio School and Studio Camnitzer in Valdotavvo, Lucca, Italy, and has her Master of Fine Arts from Union Institute and University, Vermont College. She has won various awards and scholarships. A founding organizer of Print Studio South, Inc., she served as its president and on its board and has taught locally in both adult and children’s programs. Ryba was one of 10 artists featured in a 2002 Piccolo Spoleto exhibit and was invited to exhibit in Contemporary Charleston 2004 and in Helping Hands: an artist’s debut among friends in 2005. Her work was featured in the 2018 Biennial in Columbia. Ryba also exhibited at Silo in New York City and her work was in the 2007 SOHO20 Chelsea show honoring The Feminist ART Project.

This work, painted by Kristi Ryba in 2019, asks viewers to recall a fifteenth-century fresco by Masolino da Panicale, St Catherine Disputing with Scholars (Image #2). In Ryba's painting, Christine Blasey Ford, a witness in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court, stands speaking before nine seated figures. Eight of them are labeled and represent (left to right) Tim Scott, Lindsey Graham, Rand Paul, Brett Kavanaugh, Chuck Grassley, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mitch McConnell and Mike Pence. The figure of Donald Trump stands out in modern clothing. Furthermore, he is not labeled and waves an admonitory finger at viewers while extending his legs beyond the painting's frame. The figure labelled Kavanaugh occupies a higher level, sitting in judgement of the proceedings. His face resembles the impassive features of the emperor from Masolino's fifteenth century fresco rather than the angry figure seen on television. Ford dominates the scene with a commanding presence. Her eyes, framed by a halo, catch and hold the viewer's gaze. This is in contrast to Masolino's work in which we view the saint in profile. Ford's hands eloquently enumerate her argument using the gesture seen in the earlier fresco that recalls the authority of the Roman orator. In the subsequent event pictured outside the window, Ford is shown comforting her questioners in the torments of a punishing fire as Saint Catherine of Alexandria did.

Thursday, June 7, 2018
By Scott Elingburg Special to The Post and Courier
"Ryba transposes older, Medieval text and images into a consistent and relevant comment on politics and discourse."

By Adam Parker aparker@postandcourier.com May 1, 2018

Charleston artist Kristi Ryba takes home $25,000 prize at this year's ArtFields
Well-deserved

Charleston Artists Win Artfields® $25,000 Second Place Prize, $12,500 People’s Choice Award

Review of second installment of 2017 701 CCA Biennial.

Most viewed cover on Face Book so far. Was told I was Queen...

Charleston Artist Kristi Ryba & the Value of Women’s Work
by Amy Mercer

Review of "Currently Extant" exhibit at Corrigan Gallery, October 5 - 31, 20016 by Scott Elinburg, special to the Post & Courier

Overall review with a mention of my work in paragraphs 5 and 6.

A juried exhibition of prints no larger than 4"x4". The Exhibition has been held biennially since 1985 and was founded and directed by Bev McLean. The Ink Shop was a host of the 15th exhibit and is now organizing the 17th and following exhibits. Juried this year by Andrea Inselmann and Minna Resnick, the show includes more than 100 of the best submissions. Printmakers from Canada, Japan, Australia, Great Britain, Ireland, Mexico and the US will be represented.

Interview by Marie Louise Moreto about my 1940 fashions.