Ryan Seng
He/Him
Birmingham, MI, US
Ryan graduated with a MFA in Metalsmithing from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2026. Ryan was chosen as the 2026 Cranbrook Art Museum Graduate Degree Purchase award winner. Ryan has also worked as a menswear designer prior to working in the arts.
“My approach to materials plays off existing hierarchies of value. I find harmony with materials that should not play together, combing things that are precious with those considered mundane or worthless. Through the tension of unexpected combinations of materials, a seduction can begin; the jewelry tempts my audience to desire to touch and feel it against their skin.”
www.ryanseng.com
How does your creative practice reflect your experience of living and making as a BIPOC and/or 2SLGBTQIA+ maker?
“I believe being BIPOC and queer the esthetics of both identities naturally work their way into my work, through material choices and forms. I play with materials that are charged with sexual connotations and could be considered as camp but I choose to approach them in a sensual way.”
"Encased Braided Necklace", silver, horsehair, rope, rubber, 10” x 26”, 2026
What techniques, stories, or materials have been passed down to you, and how are you reimagining them in the present?
“My past three years of school has allowed to me collect a treasure trove of skills and techniques. The end of my first year we had a broom and brush making workshop lead by Aspen Goland. I was able to take her techniques and rework them into my work and re contextualize what a ‘brush’ can be.”
"Noir Necklace", Wood, copper, and stainless steel, 9" x 9", 2025
How does your work honor those who came before you while forging new pathways for the future?
“My work takes the vocabulary of queer life and my labor refines the materials to elegant forms , this allows me to hint at queer themes.”
"Charm Bracelet 2", Porcelain, wood, sterling silver, grosgrain ribbon, rubber, nichrome wire, 4" x 24", 2025
Photographs by Daniel Rebar