BIO:

“Mysterious things are hidden away in mountains and cities.”

Ronald Dzerigian was born in the city of Fresno, California, to a family of teachers, farmers and artists on September 11, 1976.  Throughout his early years, weekdays were spent with his mother and younger brother.  They moved through a variety of rural landscapes including a Christmas tree farm and a little house near an isolated lake.  His weekends, on the other hand, were spent in Fresno with his father, step-mother, two older sisters and older brother.  The result of this divided family dynamic was a deep connection to two different worlds.  His constant closeness to the wilderness has provided his work with an understanding of the unpredictability and purity of nature.  At the same time there is a certain “used” quality to his work that is a direct reference to the layers of decay and renewal found in all cities.

He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art from California State University Fresno in 2002.  In early 2003 he sold most of his possessions including all the paintings he had made in Fresno.  With one suitcase in tow he took the train from California’s San Joaquin Valley to New York City.  There he worked a variety of odd jobs and continued to immerse himself in his art for two and a half years.  During the summer of 2005 he moved back to California to get married and be closer to his family.  He currently resides in South Pasadena with his beautiful wife, tiny dog and a magnificent body of work that continues to grow.  – written by D.B. 2006

STATEMENT:

I am a product of cities and mountains.  My art helps me blur the fine line between all things tangible and mysterious.  As I am making a painting or drawing, I open up to intuition and chance, figures become less defined, shapes are distorted and time slows down.  My process can be equated to the movement of an animal in water.  I jump into each project blindly and let my subconscious lead the way until I have created something that pulls me in and moves me.  I consciously utilize both primitive and refined techniques to open windows into worlds that seem simultaneously two and three dimensional.  At the point of near completion, certain themes emerge.  Usually, these themes have to do with my own childhood experiences, animal and human elements combined, sexuality, internal and external environments and the exploration of the unknown.  I will sometimes use reversed text to bait the viewer.  Titles and text are often appropriated from literature, music, or anything else that I respond to that has words on or within it.  I am always curious to find out what the spectator’s opinion may be.  Often a complete stranger will be the one holding the key to deciphering one of my works.  In short, my paintings and drawings come from a desire to get deep inside of an almost unexplainable thing. 
My work has been exhibited in several galleries and venues in New York and California.  A large number of my works can be found in a variety of private collections in cities such as Brooklyn, Manhattan, Los Angeles, London, Rotterdam, Portland, Sacramento, Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco and Fresno.  Museum group shows that I have had the distinct privilege of participating in were held at the Fresno Art Museum, Fresno Metropolitan Museum and Arte Americas.   – written by R.D. 2007

2007
*Paintings and Drawings, PopKiller Second, Los Angeles, CA (January 15 - February 15, 2007)

2004     
*Ronald Dzerigian: Fortune Series, L.A. Artcore Brewery Annex, Los Angeles, CA (April 1 - 29, 2004)

2003    
*New Paintings by Ronald Dzerigian, Mankind, New York, NY (October 30, 2003)

2002     
*Functioning on a Normal Level: Paintings by Ronald Dzerigian, Gallery 25, Fresno,CA (July 4 - 31, 2002)

2001
*Ronald Dzerigian: Paintings and Sculptures, The Lyles Gallery, California State University Fresno (December 1 – 31, 2001)

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

2006
*Bloodline: Artists Originally from the Central Valley all Connected by a Common Ancestor, Art Space Gallery, Fresno City College, CA (September 21 – October 27, 2006)
*3rd Grade Biology: Paintings by Patrick Maisano and Ronald Dzerigian, Sea Level Records, Los Angeles, CA (August 4 – 14, 2006)

2005
*Natural State: A Group Show, Sputnik, Brooklyn, NY (February 27, 2005)

2003
*K48 Group Show, D’Amelio Terras Gallery, New York, NY (July 1 - August 1, 2003)

2002
*Emergence: Four Artist in residence at the MET, Fresno Metropolitan Museum, Fresno, CA (June 1 - October 31, 2002)
*Four Generations: Armenian-American Artists in Fresno, Fresno Art Museum, Fresno, CA (February 22 - April 21, 2002)

2001
*Senior Art Student Exhibition, Conley Art Gallery, California State University Fresno (May 1 - June 1, 2001)

2000
*The Road that sparkles is just Down the Street: Student Exhibition, Conley Art Gallery, California State University Fresno.