the work
Nicole Ryder (b. 1986, Los Angeles, CA) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores release, transformation, and a lifelong movement toward personal freedom. Through mixed-media compositions that merge photography, textiles, embroidery, and beading, Ryder creates portal-like landscapes that invite viewers into a deeper encounter with their own inner expansiveness.
Her process is intuitive and deeply attuned to the subconscious, allowing each piece to unfold as an expression of how the inner Self guides us toward our fullest, most liberated form.
Ryder’s ceramics continue this exploration in sculptural form. Hand-built from stoneware and painted with her own hair as a brush, these works are created through a meditative, spontaneous process. Their surfaces read like spontaneous paintings on clay—records of movement, breath, and the clarity that appears when the mind quiets.
Collectors often describe encountering Ryder’s work as an invitation to reflect on their own freedom.
BIOGRAPHY
Nicole Ryder’s work has grown out of a non-traditional path through art, entrepreneurship, and global experience. Before becoming a full-time artist, Ryder lived in South Korea on a Defense Department scholarship studying Korean in support of U.S. national security. Her time in Korea — and early encounters with Zen — led her away from diplomacy and toward a creative life. In the years that followed, she founded Worn Creative, a women-led creative agency in New York City that built campaigns for clients including Bumble, Walmart, Procter & Gamble and the City of New York. Her work from this era was profiled in The New Yorker’s Talk of the Town and The New York Times.
After almost a decade of creative entrepreneurship, Ryder shifted her focus fully to her studio practice. Her artwork is now held in private collections across the United States, including the collection of Lisa and Richard Perry, and has been placed in major interior design projects led by AD 100 designers such as Ghislaine Viñas and Julie Hillman. Her work has appeared in Architectural Digest, AD Italia, and Luxe Magazine.
COLLECTORS ON RYDER'S WORK
Private Collection — Wainscott, NY
“We first encountered Nicole’s work at a private exhibition and were instantly drawn in — its quiet intensity and shimmering embroidery were captivating.”
- Kass Lazerow
“I was immediately drawn to her work — soothing yet alive with an energy that’s hard to describe. Each time I walk into the room, I’m reminded of serenity and joy.”
- Kacey Karp
“Your vulnerability in the work frees the viewer to see, feel, and express what lives within them.”
- Dan P.
RYDER’S WORK LIVES IN COLLECTIONS ACROSS THE U.S.
Private Collection — Amagansett, NY
“Her professionalism, care, and artistry made the experience a joy. Nicole’s presence — and her work — have added lasting beauty and meaning to our lives.” - Cathy Sim