A towering seven-foot sculpture of a decaying raspberry, adorned with precious gemstones and titled "Dreamhouse," has become the centerpiece of artist Kathleen Ryan's "Souvenir" exhibition at Karma gallery in Los Angeles. The remarkable piece represents three years of meticulous craftsmanship, combining magenta plastic beads to depict the fruit's still-edible flesh with blue and green gemstones including lapis lazuli, malachite, and turquoise to represent the moldy portions.
The sculpture's hollow interior resembles a glittering cave, complete with crystal stalactites and stalagmites that create an otherworldly atmosphere. "Dreamhouse" incorporates an extensive array of materials including malachite, azurite, lapis lazuli, amazonite, aventurine, turquoise, chrysocolla, magnesite, howlite, amethyst, garnet, serpentine, quartz, chalcedony, quartz stalactite, fluorite, coral chalcedony, zeolite, larimar, sodalite, calcite, acrylic, steel, aquaresin, stainless steel nails, and steel pins on coated polystyrene.
This raspberry sculpture marks the first of its kind in Ryan's acclaimed "Bad Fruit" series, which launched in 2018. The series features oversized fruit sculptures including oranges, melons, and grapes, all encrusted with glass and acrylic beads alongside semiprecious gemstones. These works intentionally evoke size-distorted mid-century pushpin fruit, with each piece requiring extraordinary attention to detail. According to Ryan's 2019 interview with the New York Times T Magazine, a single lemon sculpture contains approximately 10,000 beads and stones.
The artist's vanitas-inspired creations serve as powerful commentary on contemporary issues including worldly excess and environmental degradation. "They're not just opulent, there's an inherent sense of decline built into them — which is also something that's happening in the world: The economy is inflating, but so is wealth inequality, all at the expense of the environment," Ryan explained in her interview. She noted that while the mold represents decay, "it's the most alive part" of her sculptures.
The "Souvenir" exhibition extends beyond fruit imagery to include other decay-themed works rendered in stones and beads. Two approximately seven-foot sculptures lean against gallery walls, simultaneously resembling discarded mattresses and enormous bread slices. "Sunset Strip" features mold formations shaped like clouds and incorporates amethyst, rose quartz, agate, calcite, chalcedony, kyanite, celestite, stilbite, apophyllite, aquamarine, rhodonite, sodalite, quartz, cherry quartz, glass, acrylic, and aluminum and steel pins on coated polystyrene.
"Starstruck," another major piece in the exhibition, appears burnt and nearly consumed by decay. This sculpture consists of agate, tektite, obsidian, amethyst, amber, pyrite, hematite, lapis lazuli, lava rock, black kyanite, smoky quartz, garnet, carnelian, jasper, tiger eye, wood, glass, acrylic, and aluminum and steel pins on coated polystyrene. These works demonstrate Ryan's commitment to exploring themes of deterioration through luxurious materials.
The exhibition also features an innovative collection of oversized rings that challenge traditional jewelry concepts. These pieces center gems made from bowling balls and faceted glass, surrounded by halos of soda cans. The rings feature bands scaled to human waist size rather than finger dimensions, resembling oversized plastic toy favors from children's princess-themed parties. According to Karma gallery, jewelry as both form and symbolically loaded object represents one of Ryan's longtime artistic motifs.
In works titled "Show Pony," "Heavy Heart," and "Sweet Nothings," Ryan explores jewelry's sentimental values as symbols of devotion, taste, and generational connections. The gallery notes that she deliberately upends these traditional meanings through dramatic plays of scale and unconventional materials. This ring collection represents one of two new bodies of work debuting in "Souvenir."
The second new collection features a trio of cast-concrete peaches named "Heartbreaker," "Heartthrob," and "Wild Heart." These sculptures replace traditional fruit pits with mechanical engines, creating an unexpected juxtaposition between organic forms and industrial components. This innovative approach demonstrates Ryan's continued evolution as an artist working at the intersection of natural and artificial materials.
Born in Santa Monica, California, in 1984, Ryan currently lives and works in New Jersey. She earned her bachelor's degree from Pitzer College in Claremont, California, in 2006, followed by a Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2014. Her work has gained recognition from major institutions including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Ryan's artistic career reached a significant milestone in 2024 when she was selected for global representation by prestigious Gagosian gallery. Her debut exhibition with Gagosian is scheduled for 2026, marking an important advancement in her professional trajectory. This partnership reflects the growing recognition of her unique artistic vision and technical expertise.
The complete "Souvenir" exhibition comprises nine sculptures total and runs from November 8 through December 20 at Karma gallery, located at 7351 Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. Additional information about the exhibition and gallery hours can be found on the Karma website. The show represents a comprehensive survey of Ryan's recent work and artistic evolution, offering visitors an immersive experience with her distinctive approach to contemporary sculpture.
