About

El Ronan is a visual artist and tattooer whose work plays in the space between ornamental and sacred. Drawing on themes of death, myth, and superstition, their paintings and prints combine stylized forms with allusions to folk art, American Traditional tattooing, and religious iconography.

see the work




 

EXHIBITIONS AND SHOWCASES 

2025 Emerging Artist at Art in the Pearl fine arts showcase, Portland, OR
3rd Annual Arts Explosion, Federal Way, WA

2020 Contributing artist to The Hand magazine, issue 28 (print)
Michigan Collegiate Art Exhibition, Lansing Art Gallery, Lansing, MI
Fresh Looks 2020, Ford & University Galleries, Eastern Michigan University,
Ypsilanti, MI

2019 As Above, So Below, GVSU Art Gallery, GVSU, MI (solo)
Rejected!, artlessbastard, De Pere WI
West Michigan Area Show, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, MI 
Student Scholars Showcase, GVSU, MI
Featured cover art for Fishladder, GVSU Student Literary Magazine 

2018 Critters, artlessBastard, De Pere, WI
In Pursuit of Beauty, Grand Valley State University, MI (solo)
5th Annual Student Juried Exhibition, Grand Valley State University, MI
The Halloween Show, Padnos Gallery, Grand Valley State University, MI

2017 Edible Reflections, Padnos Gallery, Grand Valley State University, MI
(co-curated)

2016 Featured cover art for Sundog Lit, issue 11 (digital)

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

2020 Emerging Artist Award, East Lansing Arts Festival

2019            Excellence in a Discipline Award in Studio Art, GVSU

2018 Two Week Scholarship to Ox-Bow School of Art, GVSU

2017 Excellence in Foundation Work, GVSU
Merit Scholarship, Ox-Bow School of Art

2015 Art and Design Award, 2nd Place, Michigan Technological University 
Visual and Performing Art Award, Michigan Technological University

RESIDENCIES 

2020-21 Painting Resident, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, MI

2015 Junior Artist, Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, Milford, IA

EDUCATION

2019 BFA printmaking emphasis
Grand Valley State University (GVSU), Allendale, MI

2015 BS biological science, magna cum laude,
Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI

PUBLICATIONS

2015 “Grey Road”, WOW! Women on Writing, flash fiction runner up, winter 2015

2014 “The Cloud”, Freeze Frame Fiction, volume i

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2022 — present Tattoo artist

2017- 2019 Padnos Gallery Assistant, Department of Visual and Media Arts
GVSU, Allendale, MI

2018 After Hours Personnel 
Ox-Bow School of Art, Saugatuck MI