No Face No Case

OG McRibb

We are pleased to announce a solo exhibition by OG McRibb surveying over ten years of artworks. The opening reception for No Face No Case is Saturday, May 17th, 2025 from 6-9pm. It is free and open to the public. The exhibition will be on view until June 18th, by appointment only.

No Face No Case critiques our industrialized civilization while examining personal identity by way of large scale paintings depicting stylized machinery, architecture and beastly forms. McRibb’s attention to movement, line work and striking composition is deeply influenced by block-style graffiti, 1920’s Mexican murals, M.C. Escher’s optical illusions, and Renaissance frescoes. The viewer can expect to see a collection of 18 paintings with sizes up to 12 x 10 feet large.

No Face No Case captures a historical snapshot of McRibb’s inspirations as he employs a limited palette to each piece. The compositions are undeniably intense, infused with allegory and pattern repetition that seamlessly forms depth while also embracing portions of flatness. This collection of work goes beyond what might be considered pastiche by incorporating a faux identity, leading the viewer to experience the art without the context of the artist’s personal qualities. So who is OG McRibb? You’ll have to see for yourself.

ARTIST STATEMENT

This body of work presented here at Heron Arts is a selection of works done over the past ten years. A native born San Franciscan, I grew up with my tastes shaped by alley murals and graffiti, like many painters are, but I reject the conformist rules of graffiti and any scene that has expectations and a hierarchy. Practicality is not the best thing to consider when drafting a piece of art.

My plastic persona reflects my desire to be unremarkable as an individual. See the art, not the person. I am set free from judgement and expectation by not having an identity.

I paint with the technique that is most effective to deliver the image, and many of these pieces are done in a single sitting. There are no pre-sketches or digital assists, the compositions are worked out on the canvas with charcoal and then struck with oil or acrylic.

My content derives from what scares me; industry destroying what is ancient, and the ancient coming back to destroy industry, hope vs. the absence of hope, interconnectedness vs. the gravitational singularity.

We are in a collective moment where we are dropping into a period of uncharted annihilation, but we can’t see it due to our insistence on equating survival with being popular. I am no exception. Like you, I can’t tolerate being ignored. I want to be consumed, though I don’t really exist. I am McRibb.

ARTIST BIO

OG McRibb was born in San Francisco. He is the faceless alias of a San Francisco sculptor and installation artist who wants to keep a clear line between the differing bodies of work and intentions. He has shown in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami Basel, and the UK.