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Alphaa.io is pleased to welcome visual artist Ryan Frame to our network of creatives!

Frame was born in South Africa and is based in Los Angeles. He incorporates body paint, human subjects, water, and photography to create surreal yet intimate portraits.  Learn more about Frame in our interview below and check out his works on Alphaa.io.

Where are you from? 

Ryan Frame: I was born and Raised in Johannesburg South Africa, then lived in Cape Town from 18-24 and then moved to LA where I have lived since 24. I am 30 now.

What is your background?

RF: I have been working in the motion picture industry throughout my entire professional career, which led me to move to Los Angeles. There, I studied for my MFA at UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television.

How did you get started in your artist career? 

RF: As I became more involved in the motion picture business I begun feeling frustrated at how long things take for a creative vision to materialize. It was through this creative frustration that I searched for more immediate ways to express myself. I gravitated towards body painting because I have always been fascinated by the originality of how this medium combines naked skin, paint and photography. The immediacy of this art form gave me an emancipation from the long drawn our process of making films.

Any exciting upcoming projects in 2023? 

RF: I’ve been experimenting with underwater photography and testing paints and powders that will enable me to achieve it.

What excites you the most about technology (NFTs, Web3 blockchain etc) right now? 

RF: I think the promise of NFT technology is well suited for fine art for three reasons. First is that it provides provenance for these works as a certificate of authenticity that cannot be manipulated. Second is the ability for the creator to participate in secondary sales in perpetuity which I find most exciting. Third, I believe NFTs should ideally be accompanied by the original works. Although some can exist on their own, the value of art is the ability to appreciate it in person.

What inspires you? 

I get inspired when I observe life's contrast through witnessing my hopes and dreams against another person's pain and suffering, or my own pain and suffering against another's hopes and dreams. Seeing creation and destruction both in a natural context is another source of inspiration. I like to choose locations for my photoshoots in places that highlight the beauty of natural landscapes or places that carry a heaviness to them through political or religious affiliation. 

How did you get in touch with Alphaa.io and how would you see the relationship growing this year? 

RF: I met Manu at an event several months ago where she saw my work and invited me to apply. I would like to see our relationship become one where Alphaa.io represents my work to its clientele for sale.

What are you currently working on?

RF: I’m currently in Cape Town until the end of February. It’s summer here so I’m using the opportunity to create a series featuring local muses and landscapes. We’ll see how it comes together.

Anything else you want to add?

Alpha’a recently wrapped up an inspiring project curating a collection for Molteni&C’s new New York flagship store.

Molteni&C has been at the forefront of the Italian design industry for decades. All of the modern design firm’s furniture is made in Italy but it has an international presence with hundreds of retail spaces in over 80 countries.

Our in-house curator Iman Mazhar worked closely with the leading Italian furniture and design firm to highlight local NYC and East Coast artists alongside world renowned artists. The result is a vibrant collection that complements the space and creates an inspiring dialogue about design.

As a nod to Moldenti&C’s forward thinking approach to design, we sourced works that experiment with form: textured and layered paintings, minimal pieces, works with geometric patterns, as well as some sculptural and 3D works. We selected warm vibrant colors and hues of blue to add vibrancy to the showroom’s interior and included monochrome works to add moments of calmness. 

Mazhar worked with Alpha’a artists, independent artists and gallery represented artists to create a dynamic roster of artists for the final selection. Alpha’a artists David Stephen Johnson and Senem Oezdogan were highlighted as well as works from artists from Praxis Gallery, Opera Gallery, Nohra Haime Gallery, and Hemingway African Gallery.

Molteni&C’s New York store is located on Madison Avenue in the heart of Manhattan. The building was designed by Vincent Van Duysen and combines Italian style and elegance with classic New York design.The spacious two story storefront is over 12,500 square feet with four large shop windows that offer passersby a peek into Molteni&’s stunning display. 

Shoppable designs by the Group’s three brands: Molteni&C, Dada and UniFor fill the New York space alongside prints installed by Alpha’a. Moletni&C’s open layout imagines a range of settings for the brands’ furniture to shine, from an intimate home setting to a contemporary office environment. All artworks displayed at the store are available for purchase on site.

Meet the artists in the Molteni&C X Alpha’a collection and purchase their works on alphaa.io:

David Stephen Johnson , Alpha’a

David Stephen Johnson is an abstract painter based in Westport, Connecticut who often works with large scale canvases, exploring color and shape. He is self taught and is influenced by post-war abstract expressionists and great action painters.

Senem Oezdogan, Alpha’a

Senem Oezdogan is a Brooklyn-based mixed-media artist who uses color and form to create optical illusions. Smooth gradients give a sense of volume to the bold shapes that are subsequently flattened by her illusionistic use of spatial composition. 

Claudia Vieira, PRAXIS 

Claudia Vieria lives and works in Porto Alegre, Brazil and New York City. She recreates spaces by drawing and painting on the walls. She often creates site-specific installations and immersive drawn environments in which the action of drawing the line is as important as the final appearance of the work.

Julie Hedrick, NOHRA HAIME GALLERY 

Julie Hedrick is a Canadian-American artist known for her abstract and vibrant oil paintings. Hedrick’s art displays a characteristic peeling texture, tactile complex surfaces and an elemental human quality.

Francisca Sutil, NOHRA HAIME GALLERY 

Francisca Sutil is a Chilean painter known for her research of the chromatic surface and the relationship between color and light. She uses her work to encourage reflection and meditation. She creates prints and drawings on textured handmade paper, pigmented gesso surfaces, and vertical oil bands she calls Spaces. 

Sophia Vari, NOHRA HAIME GALLERY 

Sophia Vari is a world-renowned Greek visual artist. She specializes in bronze sculpture and is also known for collages, oils, and watercolors and her use of patina along with contrasting colors. Her work is an investigation of form and balance.

Hemingway African Gallery 

Alpha’a selected sculptures from Hemingway African Gallery. The NYC gallery’s collection is ethically-sourced, often directly from artisans across the continent, and ranges from antique to decorative.

Alfred Haberpointner, OPERA GALLERY