Iris Rylander is a Texas artist, born in Dallas and based in Austin. She draws inspiration from the line work of tattoo artists, pen and ink drawings, and other printmakers. She believes the placement of a single line can define or destroy her work and is fascinated with the control and attention to detail that these works require. Iris often portrays elements of nature in her work. She works with oils, watercolor, fiber, pen and ink, and printmaking. Iris graduated with a BFA from Texas State University. She has since worked under several local artists based in Austin. Her latest body of work is a series of linoleum prints under the name Allegory Handmade. She is part of Contracommon, an art collective and nonprofit organization that supports emerging artists. Iris was a featured artist for one of Austin Studio Tour’s 2020 sponsor-guided tours. She most recently showed in a group exhibition called Terrain Imprinted for Print Austin’s annual festival.

I use Floriography and other symbols to create narratives that represent my personal experiences, but also common human experiences. This body of work is a series of linoleum prints that depict images saturated in symbolism to incite a personal connection to the work. These prints are composed of a repeated tessellation in which different images fit. This allows me to reconstruct new compositions, creating new narratives. My process involves intensive research and examination of cultural values and the physicality of the subjects that I depict. I hope that the viewer of these works feels not only invited to view the decorated surface of the paper, but compelled to dig deeper and find how their stories are mirrored.