Ryan Tong is an emerging artist from New York City. He is currently a B.F.A. student at Queens College and works primarily in the mediums of ceramics, drawing and photography. Ryan began wheel throwing in 2021 and makes sculptural and functional work using high-fire stoneware clay  bodies.  For drawing, Ryan uses pencils chalk pastels on paper.

When not in the studio, Ryan can be found on the streets of New York City. He began street  and portrait photography in 2022 . Photography has since become his primary medium as he covers parades, events, and candid occurrences in the city.

When drawing, my work encapsulates my state of mind, my self-interests, or themes including emotions and mental health. The subject matter leans towards more gestural forms or movement and focuses on blending together these larger forms and lines (especially when working with pastels). I draw from life when possible, but also use my photographs as references. Street photography has become my main focus with goals of capturing the human experience. 

While making ceramics, I usually work intuitively playing with form and surface treatment. My style is experimental yet draws more towards pattern making and contrasting colors.  Most recently, my focus has been on making larger combined and altered forms.