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About

Ryan Koopmans (BA, MFA) is a Dutch Canadian lens-based artist interested in the built environment and the societies that are shaped by those environments.


Born in Amsterdam (1986) he was raised on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada, completed his undergraduate education at UBC in Vancouver, and in 2012 received a Masters of Fine Art in Photography, Video & Related Media at The School of Visual Arts in New York City.

 

His undergraduate degree in the interdisciplinary practices of geography, art history, and psychology formed the basis for his interest in architecture and the communities living in that architecture.

 

Koopmans is primarily drawn to photographing surreal structures in our world’s megacities and urban landscapes. Formal qualities in their geometry, repetition, and saturation help him illustrate what he terms ‘the poetry of form in interesting locations.’

 

In essence, his work documents the points of intersection where the natural and manmade converge. He credits his upbringing on Canada’s rugged West Coast, where distances and vistas are vast, as to why he often photographs from a removed perspective, embracing a large sense of scale.

 

Koopmans travels around the world for both personal and assigned photography & video projects.

Please see SIREN Forever for his advertising photography and SuperRare for his digital artwork.

Koopmans' portfolio displayed on the Standard Vision screen in Downtown Los Angeles, USA.

Awards & Select Exhibitions

Education

Lobkowitz Palace, Prague Castle

NF Castle Exhibition

Prague, Czech Republic, November 14, 2022

The Wild Within

0x Society Gallery

Montreal, Canada, October 6 - November 6, 2022

Venice Art Biennale

Singularity, Group Show Decentral Art Pavilion

Venice, Italy, April 20 - June 20, 2022

Miami Art Week - The Temporal Gallery

The Wild Within - Artworks projected throughout city

Miami, USA, November 30 - Dec 5, 2021

Côte 2 Coast

0x Society Group Exhibition

Montreal, Canada, August 25 - October 21, 2021

Aerial Photos Of The Year 2020

First Place - Fine Art Other category

Aerial Photography Awards

Aerial Photos Of The Year 2020

3rd Place - Man-Made category

Aerial Photography Awards

Photoville - The Fence 2020

Sanatorium

Regional Showcase: Western Canada

Calgary, Alberta: Spring​ 2021

VANTAGE

Hardback Book: 256 pages

Book Launch: Taverna Brillo, Stockholm, Sweden

Publisher: Black Dog Press - January 6, 2020

Architectural Photography Awards 2018

World Architecture Festival: Amsterdam

Amsterdam, Netherlands: November 28-30, 2018

Edition III India Architecture Dialogue 2018

Exhibition: Moments In Architecture

Amity University, Gurugram, India: September 1-30, 2018

Edition II India Architecture Dialogue 2018

Exhibition: Moments In Architecture

Red Architects, Mumbai, India: July 31 - August 13, 2018

 

Solo Exhibition

Sanatorium: Images from Tskaltubo

Galerie Konstart, Stockholm, Sweden: June 20, 2018

Four Freedoms Park

Capture Your Freedom – Group Exhibition

Roosevelt Island, NYC, USA: June 15 - onwards 2018

Architectural Photography Awards 2017

Building Images: Winners Showcase

Sto Werkstatt, London, UK: February 8 - April 27, 2018

Magenta Foundation

Flash Forward 2018 Top 100

The Magenta Foundation, Toronto, Canada: 2018

 

India Architecture Dialogue 2018

Exhibition: Moments In Architecture

Qutb Complex, Delhi, India: February 9-28, 2018

ARCAID Image Awards 2017

World Architecture Festival: Arena Berlin

Berlin, Germany: November 15-17, 2017

 

Solo Public Exhibition

Standard Vision Labs

4 Story Screen - Downtown LA

Los Angeles, USA: August 13-21, 2017

PHI Contemporary Photography Festival

Traveling Without Moving

BASE Milano

Milan, Italy: June 2-4, 2017

 

The Syngenta Photography Award

Exploring Global Challenges

Grow / Conserve Group Exhibition

Somerset House

London UK: March 9 – 28, 2017

 

Unearth X Paradise Now

Canon NL Presents: Ryan Koopmans & Luca Marziale

De Merkenwinkel Gallery

Amsterdam: September 26 - October 2, 2016

PDN’s 30 – 2016

Named as one of 30 new and emerging photographers to watch by Photo District News

Tokyo International Foto Awards

Paradise Now: Honorable Mention

Tokyo, Japan:  2016

 

ARCAID Image Awards 2015

Winners Showcase: Building Images

Sto Werkstatt

London UK: February 5 – March 25, 2016

 

ARCAID Image Awards 2015

World Architecture Festival: Nominations

Singapore: November 4-6, 2015

 

World Press Photo 2015

‘Storytelling After Dark’ Workshop

First Place Award - Judged by Magdalena Herrera and Ziv Koren

Amsterdam: April 24 – 25, 2015

 

Green River Project

Photo Show

Group Exhibition

Hillside, New York: November 14, 2015

 

Andrew Krepps Gallery

Darren Bader: photographs i like

Group Exhibition

NYC: May 15 – June 21, 2014

 

Filter Photo Festival

Mapping: borders, bodies, memories

Group Exhibition

David Weinberg Gallery

Chicago: September 19 – October 6, 2013

 

Modern Nature Gallery

Paradise Now: Solo Exhibition

Los Angeles: April 27 – July 27, 2013

UNICEF

Next Generation 3rd Annual Photo Benefit

R 20th Century Gallery

New York City: May 30, 2012

 

The Horticultural Society of New York

Photography Competition – Staff Pick Winner

Project Gallery at The HORT

NYC: August 16-31, 2012

 

New York Photo Festival Invitational

Powerhouse Arena

New York City: May 16 – May 20, 2012

 

NY Photo Awards 2012 – Student Winner

Powerhouse Arena

New York City: April 2012

 

SVA MFA Thesis Exhibition

Paradise Now: hardcover artist book

110 x 74 cm archival inkjet prints

Visual Arts Gallery

New York City: June 2012

 

Milan Design Week

Semifinalist in “AuthentiCity” Contest

Salone del Mobile

Milan, Italy: April 14 – 19, 2010

MFA Photography, Video & Related Media

The School of Visual Arts - New York City, USA

2009-2012

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Interdisciplinary Studies

University of British Columbia - Vancouver, Canada

2004-2009

Traditional Technique: Drawing

Emily Carr University of Art & Design - Vancouver, Canada

2008

 

Lectures Held

Presentation: The Wild Within

Ox Society Gallery, Montreal, Canada

October 6, 2022

Presentation: The Wild Within

OtherLands NFT Festival, Stockholm, Sweden

March 8, 2022

Presentation: Sanatorium by Ryan Koopmans

Exposure Festival X The Photoville FENCE

February 7, 2021

Public Lecture & Panel: Shooting On Assignment

The School of Visual Arts - New York City, USA

September 26, 2017

Presentation of Portfolio

Kazakhstan Fashion Institute - Astana, Kazakhstan

June 3, 2014

Behind The Scenes with Ryan Koopmans

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel - Almaty, Kazakhstan

May 13, 2014

Truth & Photojournalism

Olympic Stadium - Kyiv, Ukraine

March 19, 2014

Shooting New York Fashion Week

Olympic Stadium - Kyiv, Ukraine

October 17, 2013

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