Rest and Resilience in Black History Month with a Sunkissed Logo by Artist Ryan Horton
We are so grateful to be celebrating Black History Month with this month’s featured artist, Ryan Horton! Thank you, Ryan, for sharing your gifts, time, and thoughtful work with us as we seek to share in the work of achieving justice and liberation.

Statement by the Artist:
Sunkissed focuses on the importance of rest as resilience. Featured in my “I am the Sun” series, Sunkissed presents the Sun at home in a field of sunflowers. With the Sun’s contributions to life and creation, its essence is usually consumed and then taken for granted. The field of sunflowers presents itself as a resting ground for the Sun to receive a glimpse of the appreciation it deserves.
The Sun depicted in a moment of rest reflects a moment Black people aren’t often afforded. It’s a reminder of the power of rest as an act of resilience. The utile “U” is encased in Corten steel, representing the extensive ongoing weathering effects of withstanding white supremacy in our society.
Sunkissed Poem:
You found me. Found me in my happy place. I sit here relieved in a field of everlasting enrichment. I’m able to relinquish all restraint as my presence is praised for bringing life. Here is where I feel my kiss in return.
I am the Sun.
– Ryan Horton, February 2025

About Ryan:
Ryan Horton is an artist from Lilburn, GA based in Boston, MA driven by curiosity of expression. As a Black man living in America, Ryan has always been taught to conform to survive in environments that were never meant for him. Because of this, throughout Ryan’s professional career he strives to push the boundaries of acceptance and expectations.
With his Master’s in Architecture from Northeastern University and a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from SCAD, Ryan has been exposed to a number of creative methods and mediums that have pushed his passion to breathe purpose into his works. He has explored multiple industries including architecture, experiential design, and graphic design. He now focuses on fine-tuning his expertise to accommodate his art career. Ryan’s work has been on display in numerous exhibitions such as the African American Museum of Dallas, MIT’s Koch Institute, and showcased his first solo show at The Piano Craft Gallery. He has also been featured in art publications including Artist Talk, New Visionary Magazine, and Create! Magazine.
As his art career continues to unfold, Ryan’s focuses on furthering his exploration of self through the freedom of artistic expression via mixed media.