About the Artist

Ryan Staelgraeve began his journey as a young artist by pausing his favorite movie scenes for references, doodling on blank printer paper, and his homework throughout his school years. Ryan’s skill improved tremendously by practicing the use of oil, graphite, and colored pencil. In 2013, he began studying his Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts at Northern Illinois University. Throughout the years, he has been fascinated by the Renaissance and Baroque style of art, from the composition to the dramatic ways people are portrayed in paintings. He has been carefully studying the fundamentals of portraiture drawing/painting without using the tools that have always been “basic”. As of right now, he is focusing on building his portfolio to hopefully have his work displayed at a gallery sometime in the near future.

Artist Statement

My work confronts the lived reality of autism with clarity and precision. Using oil painting and graphite, I illustrate the internal processes that shape how I think, react, plan, and communicate. These processes are often ignored, dismissed, or misinterpreted, creating more challenges on top of the ones already brought on by my neurodivergency. Rather than masking these experiences to meet the expectations of others, I place them at the center of my practice, treating them as serious, valid, and worthy of acknowledgement. I focus on the constant effort required to function in environments not designed for neurodivergent minds, highlighting the challenges of navigating social rules, managing unpredictable stimuli, and maintaining composure under unseen pressure. By making these forces visible, I challenge assumptions about what is “normal,” “easy,” or expected to be endured. My work asserts that neurodivergent perspectives are not marginal but complete, structured, and legitimate, and it resists the pressure to mask, minimize, or simplify lived experience.