Born in 1963 in Medford, Oregon (US), Ryden received a BFA from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena (California, US) in 1987. As a follower of “Low Brow” movement developed by pop culture artists in the Los Angeles area in the 70s as an act of anti-high art, Ryden was also known as the “Godfather of Pop Surrealism" which was popular since 2000. In the early 90's, he worked as a commercial illustrator and has been working on album covers for big name musicians such as Michael Jackson and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He then began to gain popularity in the underground art scene after being discovered by Robert Williams, who was a key activist of the “Low Brow” movement. Blending the styles and ritual elements of classical paintings with pop art, Ryden ushered in a new genre of painting. Apart from his solo exhibitions as a retrospective held at the Center for Contemporary Art Malaga (Spain, 2016), the Frey Museum of Art (Seattle, 2004) and the Pasadena Museum of California Art (2005), he further expanded the scope of activities and was commissioned to create the set and costume design for “Whipped Cream”, in partnership with American Ballet Theatre in 2017. Ryden’s works are in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA, among others.