“Last Human Teachers”: Sculpting Humanity, Memory, and Myth in a Tech-Driven World with Ryan Schneider

American artist Ryan Schneider presents “Last Human Teachers”, his first large-scale solo exhibition in Europe, at the historic Citadel of Villefranche-sur-Mer. Known for his visceral sculptures carved from redwood, bronze, and stone, Schneider draws from desert landscapes, ancestral mythologies, and personal rituals. Created largely in his Joshua Tree studio—and partially on-site during a residency at the Citadel—this exhibition reflects a dialogue between earth, body, and spirit. The result is a haunting, deeply human encounter with form, fire, and transformation.

What inspires the forms and textures in your sculptures?

My inspirations come from many places- within and around me. The rock formations, flora, fauna, and otherworldly views of the desert I live in always inspire.

The physical act of altering materials to make them into sculptures inspires me, and most of the forms and faces arise from the physical exchange between my body, my tools, and the organic materials I’m working with.

Things that also inspire me, in no particular order: trees, petroglyphs, Diné, Zuni, and Hopi jewelry, Roman statues, African sculpture, prehistoric monoliths, animals, rituals, yoga, Ram Dass, Pema Chodran, swimming in cold lakes and hot springs, Pre-Columbian art, the human face and body, sci fi etc.

How do you choose the materials for your pieces?

Wood has been my primary material since I began making sculpture in 2019, and for the past year I have primarily used redwood because of its durability, density, light weight, and beautiful wood grain.

I get my redwood from Northern California. I have also made multiple bronze editions that are cast from my wood sculptures, the bronze captures all of the details of the wood but is suitable for outdoor installation in all conditions. And recently at the end of 2024, I began working with stone- primarily Mexican Onyx. I chose to try stone because I have always been curious about it, and also for its suitableness for outdoor display.

I chose Mexican Onyx because it was readily available to me (coming from  the border of Mexico and California) but also for its beautiful patterns and striations ranging in color from white to red to ochre and many other colors. 

Can you describe your creative process when starting a new work?

I draw inspiration from many sources for my work. For me, sculpture is a very organic process of trial, error, and experimentation. I work with materials that are of the earth: wood, stone, and bronze.

Those materials are not always easy to control, so I have to “co-create” with the material to arrive at the finished sculpture. I ask the block of stone or wood what it wants to become, and hopefully it will show me. I believe these materials contain an “essence” and a life force energy that I’m attempting to release as I carve.

My practice is rooted in all sorts of mythologies and history. Indigenous art is a big inspiration for me, and I have great respect and reverence for it. In addition I draw from Ancient Greek and Roman statues and battle masks, Ancient monolithic stone carving, African sculpture, cave art and petroglyphs, and Polynesian Tiki.

I also draw from the natural rock formations, flora, and vistas of the desert landscape around my home and studio in Joshua Tree, California. While I’m making the work, I’m not consciously thinking about any of this- it has been digested within me and is unconsciously deployed in my physical approach to sculpture. 

Do fire and transformation play symbolic roles in your art?

Yes fire plays a big role in my wood works. I burn the sculptures with a torch to blacken the wood. The black is deep and beautiful and the burning helps seal and protect the wood from moisture, weather, pests, etc. 

Burning the sculptures is very meditative for me, and I love the natural element of fire can change materials so drastically and beautifully. There’s also a poetry to burning the wood but keeping it intact. The fire protects the wood. Fire cleanses and allows materials to begin anew. 

What does the title "Last Human Teachers" mean to you personally or conceptually?

The title “Last Human Teachers” encompasses a lot of the themes and concepts within my work.  But in particular, at this moment, I am thinking a lot about the experience of purely being human- and how that experience could soon be erased as AI worms into our consciousness, thinking processes, and bodies.

In that sense, everyone alive at this moment could carry that sacred knowledge of “human beingness” into the future and pass it on to the next generations, thus being the “Last Human Teachers”, before our minds completely merge with technology. My goal was for these works to really exemplify that humanness- that something within us that is very hard to put one’s finger on, but you know it when you see it, or feel it. I feel this way when I look at petroglyphs, as they are such a pure human form of communication.

Thousands of years later, in a totally different world, we can look at them and feel that raw human urge to draw, communicate, record, analyze. I want the works in “Last Human Teachers” to do that for humans 100 years from now, if there are any of us still left then. 

What can visitors expect from your upcoming solo exhibition at La Citadelle in Villefranche-sur-Mer?

The Architecture and environment of the  Citadel was a factor in all of my decisions for making this show. The “Last Human Teachers” series of gold leafed wood masks was conceived specifically for the “Chapel” of the citadel. And I drew inspiration from the gardens, sea views, and vaulted spaces of the property, as well as the figural sculptures by Volti that are already present on the grounds.

Most of these works were created in my studio in Joshua Tree. 4 sculptures were made at the Citadel. Viewers will see sculptures in all of the materials I work with - Redwood, Gold Leaf, Bronze, and a brand new series of stone sculptures- showing for the first time. This is my first large scale solo show in Europe, and my first outdoor presentation of a body of sculpture. All of my work is made in nature and comes from nature, and is touched by my hands. We are projecting scenes from my Joshua Tree studio in the underground areas of the Citadel, including a performance by Dancers directed by my wife Dana Balicki, to bring some of the desert energy to the Cote d Azur, and also to draw connection between the two places. There are actually many similarities between the two landscapes. 

Is there a particular piece in this show that holds special significance for you?

All of the work in this show holds special significance for me. There’s one stone sculpture, “The Great Filter”, that I’m really partial to. Once I got into the polishing of it, I realized this particular piece of onyx is very special.

It has some of the most unique patterns, colors, and striations I’ve ever seen- as well as some bluish gray chunks inlaid into it that are not normal for this type of onyx. That tells me that and out of the ordinary mineral found its way into the sediment mix that created the stone. The result is very otherworldly. There’s a whole nebula in there. The stone reveals itself through the polish. 

How did you prepare differently for this solo exhibition compared to previous ones?

The process of making this show was quite different than any other exhibition I’ve made. For this show it was all hands on deck to create enough work, and the right work, to fill the varied outdoor gardens, terraces, dungeons, and Chapel space of the Citadel.

My wife Dana Balicki played a big role in conceptualizing the “big vision” of the show, and also worked tirelessly on the administrative details of putting the show together. Working in all mediums simultaneously, and having lots of assistance in the studio was new for me. Also, the collaboration with Camille Frasca, director of La Citadelle, was a great development.

We worked together very closely throughout the exhibition, bouncing thoughts and ideas off of each other, and this collaborative, open spirit really made the exhibition creation experience special for me.

This was also my first show where I made works in situ. I had a residency at the Citadel for 2 months before the show opened. The museum procured giant elm logs for me from Northern France and  I made 4 sculptures from them for the show.

Working in the ancient walks of the citadel, with a view of the sea and mountains surrounding Villefranche Sur Mer, was one of the best experiences of my life. 

How has your environment influenced your artistic evolution—especially living and working in the desert?

The forms, energies, vistas, and environments of the desert I live in greatly influence my work, as I absorb it all on a daily basis and it it’s deployed throughout the work on unconscious levels. 

What has been your biggest challenge as an artist recently?

This show, “Last Human Teachers” has been my biggest challenge thus far as an artist, but an unbelievably rewarding one. The amount of work I needed to make, the physical toll it took on my body, and the stamina it took to keep going till it was absolutely right. 

How do you stay creatively motivated and avoid burnout?

My work is very physically demanding and really pushes my body and mind to their limits on a regular basis. When I’m working on a big project, I just go into it fully and work almost every day for months on end till I’m happy with the work I’ve produced and physically / mentally/ emotionally exhausted.

Then I usually take a break for a month or two, if I can- though it isn’t always possible. Last year I went to Kauai to regroup and heal after a few years of non stop work deadlines. Then I opened a show in NYC and after that spent a few weeks in Costa Rica where I learned how to surf. Then I went on a 3 week “walk about” in Northern California- the Sierras, Mt Shasta, Mendocino- swimming in cold lakes and soaking in hot springs.

All of that helped me to regroup and begin making the works for “Last Human Teachers”. I started to think about stone on those trips- and when I actually got back into the studio I began to work with it. I also began a yoga practice at this time that truly saved my brain and body and also helped me visualize the  works for this show in many ways.

I also get one or two massages a week, go to a chiropractor, and eat pretty healthy- all of which keep me in good working condition. Also- sometimes I just burn out, and stop. There’s no point in working if I’m not excited and motivated. Sometimes you just need to get quiet for a while and the next things come when they’re ready. 

Who are some artists or thinkers that have deeply influenced your vision?

In no particular order: 

Miro, Giacometti, Picasso, Louise Bourgeois, Ram Dass, Brancusi, Huma Bhaba, Kirchner, “Sapiens” by Yuval Noah Harari, Georg Baselitz, Hans Josephsohn, Pedro Reyes, Germaine Richier, Willem de Kooning, Augustin Cardenas, Niki de Saint Phalle, Cesar, Eckhardt Tolle, Henry Moore, Pema Chodran, Matisse, Max Ernst, Francis Picabia, VOLTI. 

What message or emotion do you hope people take away from your work?

Get quiet, feel the earth beneath you, look within, allow the sculptures to speak to you. I think any emotion my work stirs in the viewer is appropriate. But mostly I hope my work puts people in touch with the planet they are on, their own precious humanity, and the sacred humanity of others.

If you weren’t an artist, what do you think you would be doing?

I would probably be a massage therapist, a yoga teacher, or just live in a van and travel around swimming in lakes, hiking, and soaking in hot springs.

But I’ve always been an artist, so truly I can’t even imagine doing anything else. Whatever I would be doing in life to make money- I would always be making art as well, even if I was my only audience. That’s just how it’s always been.