Rye Watts is a self-taught oil painter whose intuitive process draws from nature, history, and personal reflections on ethics, environment, identity, and memory. Their work often centers on imagined ecologies populated by anthropomorphic figures that feel familiar yet altered, such as animals blended into hybrid forms and placed in unexpected settings.

These creatures suggest both playfulness and quiet unease, functioning like visual fables that balance charm with warning. Linked to the idea of obscured organisms, the paintings use metaphor to explore what lies beneath the surface, including hidden emotions, unresolved fears, and shifting identities. Through these scenes, Watts invites viewers to reflect on their inner worlds and to acknowledge the complexity of being human.