Roman Riley

Born in 1973 in Surrey, England, Roman Riley is a self-taught artist working in digital art, watercolours, ceramics, and photography. Now based in Dorset, his work explores the overlooked and hidden aspects of plant life, focusing on how undergrowth slowly reclaims abandoned spaces through decay and renewal.

Expanding on his watercolour practice, Riley integrates digital techniques, producing large-scale giclée prints that enhance texture and depth. His work draws from Dorset's tropical gardens, where bursts of vivid colour emerge from dense foliage, as well as the layered graffiti on decaying buildings — both symbols of nature and human presence in flux. This interplay of organic growth and urban remnants informs his bold, expressive use of colour.

As an artist with ADHD and heightened sensitivity to his surroundings, Riley's rapid self-portraits are created with immediacy, responding instinctively to his environment. These works serve as both an emotional register and a conceptual counterpoint to his broader themes, reflecting an internal struggle for release alongside the relentless persistence of the natural world.

Riley works nomadically and by deliberate design, moving between locations with a minimal studio kit so pieces can be made the moment the instinct arrives. There is no fixed studio to visit; the work is the destination.

Selected Series

• "Losing My Religion," 2026 — 60″ × 48″, Limited Edition

For commissions, press and acquisitions, write to studio@romanriley.com.