RIPKEN J. RUSSELL (he/they) is an artist and actor based in CHATTANOOGA, TN
EXPERIMENTATION
“When I’m truly in the pocket, it feels more like a revelation, or a possession than it feels like my creation.”
RIPKEN’S work is based in the principles of process and experimentation. They start with near autonomic mark making, only vaguely guiding the placement. Until, inevitably an underlying structure comes into focus, and from there they must only listen for which way the painting wants to pull. Every time it feels as though they’ve lost the piece, they simply trust it, and keep moving forward. Every piece starts this way, without a preconceived notion. Repeatedly finding and losing what it wants to be through hundreds of small bursts of inspiration, the painting eventually reveals itself to RIPKEN.
Drawing inspiration from Julie Mehretu and Anselm Kiefer; RIPKEN’S work as NEMO DOMI explores the dissolution of the individual identity through the inherent interconnectivity of all things.
ABOUT
NEMO DOMI is a name representing the ever changing spirit that lives in and guides RIPKEN’S artistic process.
PSEUDONYM