Ryan Heshka ‘Costume Obscura’ @ Corey Helford Gallery [Los Angeles]

This Saturday, January 28th, Canadian illustrator/painter, Ryan Heshka will open his latest solo exhibition at Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles. His 3rd solo show with the gallery, Costume Obscura features 10 brand new oil paintings, which Heshka has “vaguely labeled” as “fashion curious.”

The self-taught Vancouver artist creates work that can venture into a kitschy vintage aesthetic, but always with a strong understanding of tone and shadows that imbues it with a deeper, emotional, if not ominous, quality. Heshka‘s retro-futuristic surrealism draws from such influences as antiquated comic books, science fiction, pulp magazines, old advertisements, and Hollywood B-movies. His characters exist in a parallel world where it isn’t out of place for women in flowered swimming caps to be devoured by carnivorous plants.

Ryan offers some insight into his new collection.

“The paintings in Costume Obscura had their origins in a backlog of fashion-curious drawings I had created over many years, which accumulated in my sketchbooks, and rescued ideas. Exploring my visual inventory while gathering ‘seeds’ for the exhibition, vague paper doll-like collages of clothing and characters began to reveal themselves. The new works became an outlet for my ‘costume morgue’: a folder of rejected, nebulous but expressive fashion (or anti-fashion) sketches which also included figures, accessories, and environments. Lighting, textures, patterns, shoes, attire, backdrops…all obsessively grouped and posed, with enigmatic models carefully matched with suitably odd ensembles. Paintings became the equivalent of staged studio shots for this fantasy capsule collection. It is a love letter to the inspiration of fashion and designers, past and present, famous and obscure, intentional and unintentional. At the same time, it is a blissfully bizarre peeling back of our secondary skins which simultaneously express and veil us.”

If you’re in the Los Angeles area this weekend, make sure to stop in. Ryan has announced that, “those attending the opening in person will have an opportunity to purchase a small fundraiser pack, with all proceeds going to aid victims of the fires.” These packs will be limited and include comics and original drawings.

Check out preview images for the exhibition below the following event details…

WHAT:

Costume Obscura
Ryan Heshka solo exhibition

WHEN:

Opening:
Saturday, February 1st, 2025
7pm-11pm

WHERE:

Corey Helford Gallery
[Gallery 3]
571 S Anderson St (Enter on Willow St)
Los Angeles, CA 90033
Phone: (310) 287-2340

ADDITIONAL INFO:

Opening is ALL AGES w/NO COVER
Ryan will be in attendance
Show on view until Saturday, March 8, 2025
Gallery hours: Tues – Sat. noon – 6pm