Today we’d like to introduce you to Ricky Lee Gordon.
Hi Ricky Lee, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Born: Johannesburg South Africa 1984.
Ricky only started painting full time in 2014 having his first solo show in 2015. Before this he was focused on curatorial and creative activism; founding /A WORD OF ART gallery and artist residency in addition to the Colour Ikamva school rejuvenation project in South Africa.
Having lived and worked in Cape Town in 2016 Ricky excepted a scholarship in 2018 to study classical painting in LA with the support of the RVCA artist network program.
Ricky then moved again in 2019, this time to Sri Lanka to set up his dream studio and artist residency Śūnyatā to focus on his studio practice, surfing and the pursuit of all-natural materials.
His studio work has become the antithesis of his public murals as it allows for a more meditative environment to create and allows for him to explore deeper into his ideas without compromise.
Most well known for his large-scale murals that can be seen in cities all over the world, from New York to Istanbul and Madagascar to Kathmandu Ricky is inspired by his experiences in meditation and Buddhist Dharma (law of nature) and therefore now his paintings explore the nature of non-duality and interconnectedness focusing on bringing to light relevant social issues and universal truths. His intention with his murals is to create artwork that has a connection to the people and place in which he is painting.
His achievements in public art have made it on CNN, Mail & Guardian’s ‘200 young people in SA who make a difference’, Winner of the International Art and healing network award for 2011 and National Geographic’s list of ‘11 street art greats’ alongside the likes of Banksy
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I paint waterscapes working with natural materials, like raw canvas, indigo bee wax and charcoal. With my home studio based in Sri Lanka, I balance my time between surfing and painting.
Any big plans?
Continue to live and work in Sri Lanka and travel from there for projects and exhibitions.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@rickyleegordon.com
- Website: rickyleegordon.com
- Instagram: rickyleegordon
