Michael Rice is a self-taught visual artist, designer and creator. His journey has afforded him the opportunity to explore many forms of art, including ceramics, sculpture, product and graphic design. However, his true passion lies in painting.

Rice’s work, at once both arresting and inviting, is a direct reflection of our current times–an age in which the lines between our digital and physical worlds continue to blur.

With technology integrating rapidly into our daily lives, Rice believes we need to look beyond the obvious benefits and consider important questions that arise as a result: How will we adapt to discern fact from fiction, real from fake? What separates natural from manufactured, organic from forced? Essentially, how will technology’s impact on humans and our environment ultimately transform our perception of reality?

Finding himself at the intersection of these contrasting worlds, it is here, at the center of what Rice calls the “push-pull,” that he and his work reside. By deploying retro-modern abstractions meant to disorient and engage the viewer in a seemingly relentless fashion, Rice’s work draws parallels to our world's dichotomous transformation and provides perspective on the emergence of a new paradigm–one filled with limitless potential, but also new challenges.

“On the one hand, I’m grateful to remember what life was like before the internet and smart phones. But on the other hand, I have chosen to embrace digitalization and the endless possibilities it presents,” says Rice. 

Rooted in 80’s and 90’s counterculture, and heavily influenced by today’s technological landscape, Rice’s clean and precise style transcends genres and evokes a unique aesthetic that glides from nostalgic to futuristic.

“At the end of the day, I want to engage people and bring attention to society’s ongoing transformation,” Rice says. “Creating art is the best way I know how to do that.”