This week’s Artist profile takes a look at Ry Sangalang, a young artist who is dedicated to both chasing his dreams and listening to the whispering spirit of adventure. His art is a fascinating mashup of landscape, wildlife, and fashion photography that combines disparate subjects and locales into settings that are both unfettered and urbane.

For Ry, his interest in art began when he was just a kid watching a cartoon show about Salvador Dali’s surrealist work. He was mesmerized by Dali’s use of images that were both familiar and distant. Today, Ry’s artwork similarly works to appeal to and challenging accepted aesthetic conventions.

Ry’s path to artistic expression was by no means easy. When he graduated high school his parents informed him that he would have to get himself through college without any financial support from them. At first Ry struggled under the weight of maintaining his grade point average and working several jobs to make ends meet, but eventually he prevailed. Once he earned his Bachelor’s degree he decided to strike out on his own and see the world, quite literally in pursuit of adventure.

“I’ve always wanted to travel,” Sangalang says, “because I loved Indiana Jones as a kid and the sense of adventure appealed to me, I enjoyed just being out there on my own. My experiences abroad have shaped the art I make today.”

Ry has certainly been around the block, probably more than the average wanderlust junkie. He draws inspiration from the art, architecture, and cultures he’s experienced from the Louvre, to the  ancient ruins in Egypt, the Havelis of India, to the game reserves in Africa. In just the last few years he has travelled and photographed dozens of cities in more than 26 countries.

And it’s more than just a dramatic sunset, a colorful piece of local garb, or a unique piece of folk art that find their way into Ry’s art. He has a strong sense of narrative in his images. “The first piece I created was called, ‘Hide and Seek.’ It features an abandoned house by the grand canyon and shows an interplay between light and darkness that’s accented by a message coming in the form of a bird.”

Ry’s concept of narrative is intentional and informed by Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey.” To Ry, mythology is one of the deepest seated expressions of the human experiences. “I wanted to tell these same stories in the art I create.”

In addition to travelling abroad, when Ry was first beginning his pursuits as an artist he struck upon a very Millennial solution to the problem of finding fashion models to photograph. Through various Meetups around Los Angeles, Ry was able to have access to professional models and locations at little or no cost to himself. In addition to this he was able to find a community of emerging photographers and artists to swap tips, stories, and technical knowhow.

“I shot landscapes first. Then I branched into shooting fashion. That happened because I wanted to photograph more people. I joined the meetup groups around the city where they build fashion shoots for you.  It was a really good deal, and lots of fun. ”

Ry’s art has been well received by the community. He has been shown in galleries and events around Southern California with plans to expand soon. He has also recently published an eBook with the hope of helping other burgeoning photographers and artists to get the most out of their equipment and setting.

Prolab Digital has been fortunate enough to work with Ry to bring his digital images to life. “My experience at Prolab Digital has been extremely positive.” Ry says, “They ensure quality work and make sure that everything looks great before every show. Teri does a great job. She coordinates everything. She’s so helpful. Sometimes she’ll notice stuff in the proofs. She will work with me until I fix whatever’s wrong with it. It’s good to have that second pair of eyes. I really love the people there.”

Want to learn more about Ry or see some of his work in person?

Ry Sangalang’s portfolio can be found on his website: http://www.rysangalang.com/SurrealPhotography/ .

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ry.sangalang

Instagram: http://instagram.com/rysangalang

500px: https://500px.com/rysangalang

Ry’s ebook “19 Photoshoot Secrets” that can be found on his blog www.MakePhotoArt.com.

To see Ry’s work you can visit these shows in Southern California:

Show Name: Fresh 2014

Location: South Bay Contemporary, 550 Deep Valley Drive, #261, Rolling Hills Estates, Ca 90274

Opening Reception Date: Saturday November 8, 6-9 pm

Show run time: November 8, 2014 through December.

Show Name: Nature Human and Urban Joys

Location: CIM Gallery, 184 West Center Street, Anaheim, CA 92805

Opening Reception Date: Saturday November 8, 6-9 pm

Show run time: November 8, 2014 through January 2015.

To learn more about Prolab Digital’s Fine Art Digital Prints please visit this link.