Joyce Riley

I create map-based artworks that weave together visualization, storytelling, and interactivity. At the heart of my practice is a desire for understanding, community, and clarity. For me, maps aren’t just about geography—they’re metaphors for how we see and make sense of the world. They give me a way to step back and look at the big picture, to trace where pain lives, and to imagine paths toward healing. I reimagine traditional cartography by layering texture, story, and meaning. I’m drawn to using beauty as a gentle way to face difficult truths, and sometimes as a way to rewrite the story.

Water, sky, sand and the people that I love. I seek patterns in nature and focus on hope and joy. Growing up in industrial Northwest Indiana, I have always been drawn to art supplies found in a hardware store: enamel, Plexiglas, steel and wood. I crave bold color, the rigid boundaries of shape side by side and how these formal qualities create exciting possibilities.