Ryan Heshka was born in Manitoba, Canada, and grew up in Winnipeg. Fueled by long prairie winters, he spent a lot of his childhood drawing, building cardboard cities and making super 8 films. Early influences that persist to this day include antiquated comics and pulp magazines, natural history, graphic design and music, movies and animation. Formally trained in interior design, he is self-taught as an artist. His illustrations have appeared in Vanity Fair, Playboy, Wall Street Journal, Esquire, the New York Times, Smart Money, and on the cover and interiors of BLAB!. He has been selected to appear in American Illustration, Society of Illustrators, and Communication Arts. In addition to gallery shows across North America and Europe, he has produced the "Mean Girls Club" comic book and graphic novel, and the recently self-published comic book "Frog WIfe". He lives in Vancouver, Canada with his wife Marinda and daughter Roxy.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2020
“Mindset Reset”, Gallery Poulsen; Copenhagen, Denmark
2019
“FREEKS”, Corey Helford Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
“Don’t Wake Daddy 14”, Feinkunst Krüger; Hamburg, Germany
“Mother & Child”, Dorothy Circus Gallery; Rome, Italy
“Anti-Heroes”, Tauranga Art Gallery; Tauranga, New Zealand
2018
“Midnight Movie”, Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea; Milan, Italy
“Group Show”, sp[a]ce Gallery; Pasadena, CA
2016
“Mean Girls Club mini show”, Floating World; Portland, OR
“the BLAB! Show”, Copro Gallery; Santa Monica, CA
“Don’t Wake Daddy 11”, Feinkunst Krüger; Hamburg, Germany
“The Hours of Silence”, Gallery House; Toronto, ON
“Arcana”, Red Truck Gallery; New Orleans, LA
2015
“Romance of Canada”, Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea; Milan, Italy
“EXPO”, Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea; Milan, Italy
“Don’t Wake Daddy 10”, Feinkunst Krüger; Hamburg, Germany
“500 Show”, CG2 Gallery; Nashville, TN
“HEY! Exhibition #2”, Halle Saint Pierre; Paris, France
“One Page”, Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, WA
“Twenty Years Under the Influence of Juxtapoz”, LA Municipal Art Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
“Peep Show”, Stranger Factory; Albuquerque, NM
2014
“Mean Girls Club” (installation), Wieden + Kennedy; Portland, OR
“Don’t Wake Daddy 9”, Feinkunst Krüger; Hamburg, Germany
“One Year Anniversary”, Atomica Gallery; London, England
“Sonic”, SCOPE Art Fair Miami; Miami, FL
2013
“Strange Powers 3”, Copro Gallery; Santa Monica, CA
"Teenage Machine Age", Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea; Milan, Italy
“Don’t Wake Daddy 8”, Feinkunst Krüger; Hamburg, Germany
“Other Worlds”, Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, WA
“The Beast Within”, Tory Folliard Gallery; Milwaukee, WI
“Northern Lights”, Rotofugi Gallery; Chicago, IL
2012
"Disasterama", Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, WA
"Don't Wake Daddy 7" (group show), Feinkunst-Kruger; Hamburg, Germany
"the BLAB! Show" (a BLAB! group show), Copro Gallery; Santa Monica, CA
“Ours”, Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea; Milan, Italy
“Group Exhibition” (presented by Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea), ArtFirst Art Fair; Bologna, Italy
“Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” (group show), Copro Gallery; Santa Monica, CA
2011
“In the Trees: Twin Peaks 20th Anniversary show”, Clifton’s Brookdale, Los Angeles, CA
“Instinction”, Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, WA
“Krampus (a BLAB! Group show), Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, WA
“Strange Powers 2” (presented by BLAB!), Copro Gallery; Santa Monica, CA
“End of Days” (a BLAB! Group show), Copro Gallery; Santa Monica, CA
“Power Punch” (group show), Giant Robot; Los Angeles, CA
“Vancouver Artists” (group show), Interurban Gallery; Vancouver, B.C.
“Post It Show” (group show), Giant Robot, Los Angeles, CA
2010
“Don’t Wake Daddy 5” (group show), Feinkunst-Krueger; Hamburg, Germany
“Super Things”, Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, Washington
“BLAB! Show” (group show), Philip Slein Gallery; St. Louis, MO
“Survey Select” (group show, curated by Mark Murphy); San Diego, CA
“Neo-Fabulists” (group show), Feinkunst-Krueger; Hamburg, Germany
“Strange Powers” (presented by BLAB!), Rotofugi Gallery; Chicago , IL
“Lush Life 2” (group show), Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, Washington
2009
“True Self” (group show), Jonathan Levine Gallery; New York, NY
“Envirus”, Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, Washington
“Lush Life” (group show), Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, Washington
“End of Days” (a BLAB! group show), Copro Nason Gallery; Santa Monica, CA
“Ryan Heshka: Electro-Wonders”, Harold Golen Gallery; Miami, Florida
2008
“Don’t Wake Daddy 3” (group show), Feinkunst-Krueger; Hamburg, Germany
“Mark Murphy Art Basel Show” (group show), Art Basel; Florida
“Ryan Heshka: The OBIT Paintings (a BLAB! show)”, Copro Nason Gallery; Santa Monica, CA
“Anniversary Show” (group show), Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, Washington
“BLAB! A Retrospective” (group show), Kansas State University, Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art; Manhattan, KS
“Sideshow” (group show), Merry Karnowsky Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
“Ryan Heshka: Radio Science Funnies Inc. (presented by BLAB!)”, Secret Headquarters; Los Angeles, CA
2007
“Mark Murphy Art Basel Show” (group show), Art Basel; Florida
“Don’t Wake Daddy 2” (group show), Feinkunst-Krueger; Hamburg, Germany
“BLAB! show” (group show), Philip Slein Gallery; St. Louis, MO
“Three person show”, Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, Washington
“BLAB! show” (group show), Copro Nason Gallery; Santa Monica, CA
“Ryan Heshka: Neo-Pulp”, Orbit Gallery; West New York, NJ
“Jolly Gleetime”, DVA Gallery; Chicago, IL
2006
“Radio Show”, JEM Gallery; Vancouver, B.C.
“Three Person Show”, Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, Washington
“Don’t Wake Daddy” (group show), Feinkunst-Krueger; Hamburg, Germany
“BLAB! show” (group show), Copro Nason Gallery; Santa Monica, CA
“Everything but the Kitschen Sync” (group show), Jesus La Luz Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
“Ryan Heshka: ABC SpookShow”, El Kartel; Vancouver, B.C.
2005
“Humanitarium”, Parking Spot Gallery; Vancouver, B.C.
“Medium Rare” (group show), Columbia Street Gallery; Vancouver, B.C.
“Mod Squad” (four person show), Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, Washington
“Everything but the Kitschen Sync” (group show), Jesus La Luz Gallery; Los Angeles, CA
“Modern Love” (group show), M Modern Gallery; Palm Springs, CA
“The Small Show”, Columbia Street Gallery; Vancouver, B.C
2004
“The Pin Up Show” (group show), Roq La Rue Gallery; Seattle, Washington
“Miss Universe”, El Kartel; Vancouver, B.C.
“Predicta” (group show), Columbia Street Gallery; Vancouver, B.C.