Mark Ryden was born on January 20, 1963 in Medford, Oregon, but grew up in Southern California. He received a B.F.A. in 1987 from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Mark's paintings are intended to trigger a warped deja vu. His work recalls a parallel universe of 1950s Golden Books and the whimsy of Lewis Carroll. His cheery bunnies, rendered in the glowing hues of childrens books, are likely to be carving slabs of meat rather than frolicking in the forest. Rydens work mingles unique technique with images that create a world of strange and disturbing beauty. "At once intriguing and unsettling, baffling and enchanting, [Rydens] works ... are subtle amalgams of many sources and influences as wide-ranging as Psychedel...