A native of Tennessee, printmaker Derrick Riley now lives in Lexington, where he is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in printmaking at the University of Kentucky. He received his BFA in drawing from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Derrick works predominantly in woodcut. His signature style incorporates robots and other non-human characters as a way of expressing and exploring emotions and the human condition. His works are also humorous commentaries on society and its problems, featuring pop-culture references drawn from his childhood—he practically grew up at flea markets, he says—as well as shows like The Simpsons and Seinfeld.

Those works have been shown in numerous national and international shows and are included in many private and public collections, including those of Rutgers University, Boston College, and the College of Notre Dame. Derrick is represented by galleries in Baltimore; Washington, DC; and several other cities. At the time of Mixed Media’s visit, he was taking part in the Water Tower Annual show mounted by the Louisville Visual Art Association and was preparing for a show at the MetroLex Gallery in downtown Lexington.

 

Program 710

Lexington printmaker Derrick Riley; Nancy Bronner, editor of Arts Across Kentucky magazine; and music by Bardstown’s Bluegrass 101. (#710)

Program 801

Printmaker Derrick Riley; music by A.M. Sunday and singer/songwriter Rob McNurlin; and a photography exhibit at Louisville’s Zephyr Gallery. (#801)