About Me
Riley McAndrews is a NYC-based interdisciplinary artist from Colorado who is best known for her illustration, comics, and sculpture. In her art, McAndrews explores her identity, memories, and relationships through a diaristic multimedia approach that often references her personal writings. McAndrews is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. She graduated with a Bachelors of Arts, emphasizing in digital media studio arts, and a minor in Japanese. She has exhibited in Itoshima, Japan as an artist in residence at Studio Kura. She is a recipient of the University of Northern Colorado's Southard Award, and has exhibited in UNC's Annual Juried Student Show, and private collections as well as her 2022 solo gallery show, I Hope the Flowers Were Worth It.
Artist Statement
My work examines my relationships with myself, others, and the world through illustration, sculpture, sequential art, photography, and other various media. Using a diaristic approach, I often work in conjunction with my personal writing, giving a visual form to some of my written ideas, emotions, memories, personal struggles, and triumphs.
For the past few years of my art career, I have been experimenting with many different tactile mediums while at the same time expanding my digital art practice. I focus mainly on relationships and identity in my work, examining social dynamics and emotion through digital media, 3D modeling, sculpture, metalsmithing, welding, photography, and ceramic design. Although illustration and sculpture are my primary mediums, I have found that working with a diverse range of materials and methods has inspired innovation in my work.
I am the author and illustrator of two ongoing webcomic series, Cinnamon and Pear – an LGBTQ love story, and Odds & Ends, Evens & Beginnings – a slice of life diary comic, both of which can be read on Tapastic. I love working in a narrative style and find a lot of joy in creating long form comic work. I often work in a whimsical style suited to children’s illustration, but I also take inspiration from manga and more YA graphic novel literature and memoirs.
In my art, I aim to dissect the multiple facets of my person and experiences with the goal of understanding myself and the effects today’s world has on me.
