I’m Ryan, and my creative life began with a decade-and-a-half long music career. Since signing with a major publishing company in my early twenties, Man Without Country has taken me on quite a journey - from travelling to other continents to perform to empty rooms to collaborating with my heroes.

In recent years, since becoming a father and particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I suddenly felt that it was time to re-evaluate my life and chosen vocation. I've always been artistic and highly competent when it comes to DIY - even self-building my own music studio.

As for the furniture, it all started with a 1960s Jentique sideboard that I found during lockdown. I thought I would “do it up” to use in my music studio. I sanded away the decades of neglect, gave it a lick of paint and a fresh coat of varnish. I was amazed by the transformation.

I soon found myself constantly browsing the internet for mid-century furniture and binge-watching BBC's Money For Nothing. I started posting my work on social media and fairly quickly began filling my diary with commission projects.

In the summer of 2022 I participated in an exciting new television series called “Make It At Market” - a show that follows a group of upcoming artisans and crafters as they develop their businesses with help from professional mentors. I'm in the last episode of the series (no. 15), which first aired January 20th 2023 on BBC One.