Ryan Heshka (Canada, 1970) is a Canadian multidisciplinary artist renowned for his illustrations featured in prestigious magazines such as Wall Street Journal, Esquire, Vanity Fair, Playboy, and The New York Times. His works grace the walls of international galleries like Copro Nason in Los Angeles, Feinkust Kruger in Germany, Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea in Italy, and La Fiambrera in Madrid.
1. Each artist has a set of influences and experiences that influence their work. What are your main references and influences? Additionally, we would be interested in knowing what experiences you had in sculpture before this collaboration with 6Forest Studio.
My primary influences lie in the comic books, films, posters, and pulp magazines of the 1930s to the 50s. I was drawn to these things as a very young child, rather inexplicably, as these periods were well before I was born. Nature also played a big role in my childhood, especially the microscopic life in ponds. Other influences that came later include architecture, graphic design, fashion, fine art, and people-watching. This collaboration with 6Forest Studio marks the first professional sculpture edition in my art career. As a child, I used to sculpt models out of plasticine for stop-motion films, so I have been interested in sculpting from a young age.
2. Bubble Boy has captured the attention of many people! Could you tell us how the idea for this character was born and what it represents to you?
Bubble Boy was born spontaneously in a commissioned painting for Colección Solo (Madrid). I had blocked out a rather hulking, dark, freakish-looking woman on canvas, but felt she needed an offspring. This ended up being the bright and soft Bubble Boy. Bubble Boy is the cosmic traveler in all of us, without weight, without roots, constantly moving through the universe from one life to the next seeking the next mother figure.
3. Every artist has a unique style. How do you think your personal signature is reflected in this sculpture?
There is a sense of calm wonder I hope the sculpture leaves with the viewer, along with an uneasy sense of the unfamiliar.
4. What was your reaction to having the sculpture of Bubble Boy Of The Infinite in your hands?
Delight!! Also, It was a very strange feeling, to be holding something so familiar, and yet my hands had never actually touched it. It really reinforced the power of collaboration for me. It is marvelously crafted.
5. Since its launch, what has been the reception of Bubble Boy Of The Infinite by the public and critics? Was there any reaction that particularly surprised or impacted you?
I am unsure of the critics, but the reception on social media for Bubble Boy has been wonderful. I love seeing photos of it in various people’s homes. Very recently the Milanese architect Cino Zucchi sent me some variations of Bubble Boy that he made with AI, and I have to say they are really far out.
6. Working in collaboration can often be a complex process. What was your experience collaborating with 6Forest on this project? Were there any challenges you had to face during the process?
6Forest went to great lengths to stay true to my original design and vision. From building the original digital model to matching my paint guide, they have kept my hand at the forefront. For me, getting to design the box was very important. As a fan of old graphics, I had a specific feel I wanted to capture on the package with the typography and illustration. Again, 6Forest made this possible. My own lack of 3D digital sculpting skills slowed down the process a bit, but we worked through this with drawings and overlays.
7. With the creation of this sculpture, Bubble Boy has stepped out of the canvas and become a three-dimensional work. Do you have plans to explore more artistic adventures or manifestations in this field?
There are new editions in the works between 6Forest and myself. Aside from these, I have no immediate plans for 3-D work, as I am committed to 2-D projects at the moment. Exploring larger 3-D works in the future is something of interest.
8. In recent years, Artificial Intelligence has been a hot topic. Have you ever used it in the creative process as a source of inspiration? What is your stance on it?
I have barely scratched the surface of AI, having just finally played with it a bit. My results have been horrible by the way, but this is on my end! I am at the bottom of the learning curve. I am really looking forward to getting around to animating some of my characters and environments, experimenting with some motion work, and feeling it out. I am all for it as a tool, my hope is always that we remain in control of it.
