Ryan Kohler is a Maine painter whose vibrant mixed-media canvases blend acrylic and collage into scenes of coastal and inland life that pulse with color, rhythm, and movement. Based in Skowhegan, Ryan Kohler builds each painting in layers — starting with bold shapes and color before introducing torn maps, album covers, and found paper that shift the texture and energy of the scene in unexpected ways.
A former musician who spent years playing in bands and producing tracks, he brings a songwriter's instinct for hooks and rhythm to his studio practice — each painting built around a single element the eye keeps returning to. Represented by Portland Art Gallery, Ryan Kohler creates work that collectors describe as alive, energetic, and deeply rooted in the Maine he knows best.
What does it look like when a musician finally trades the stage for the studio — and what does collage allow a painter to say that pure paint never could?