Opening reception Tuesday, March 17, 6–9 pm
Ink drawings exhibition
March 17–29, 2026
Thursday–Friday: 4–8 pm
Saturday–Sunday: 2–7 pm
By appointment: +41 78 755 62 72
Closing event Saturday, March 28, 6–9 pm

Hydromantia
His most recent works are characterized by bright, fluorescent, candy-like colors reminiscent of childhood sweets, contrasting with the themes they evoke. The duality between Humanity and Nature, and the contradictions we live with in order to keep going — even if it means maintaining a system we know to be destructive — inspire these illustrations. Their dreamlike quality creates the impression of being immersed in a dream, as if the consequences of climate disruption or overexploitation still feel too unreal or intangible, yet their threat can be sensed, along with signs of hope.
To create these drawings, the artist lets ink flow onto the paper, leaving empty spaces. The resulting abstract composition then suggests an image or concept, which he refines with pen and nib. Improvisation remains an essential part of his creative process, whether in illustration or in the music he also practices.
Exploring his imagination, creating worlds and materializing them into images is, above all, a means of escape, but it is also a way of expressing his emotions, freed from certain constraints. Most of the images depict imaginary and symbolic worlds — utopian, offbeat, or unsettling projections of his relationship to the “real” world. The duality inherent in all things, nature, the absurd, dreams, and the human condition are recurring themes.
Improvised Drawings
Before 2023, the drawings were mainly created using India ink markers. These are “improvised” drawings made in small formats. The process consists of letting the imagination wander freely across the paper. Most often, it is only afterward that the illustrator becomes aware of their symbolism. In a way, they are self-portraits — snapshots of thoughts — presented in a deliberately quirky and whimsical form.
Alain Riad was born in 1985 and grew up in Geneva.
A graduate of the Geneva School of Decorative Arts, he has always practiced drawing.
Past Exhibitions
September 2025
Magic Circle
Fly Little Bird Studio
Melbourne
April 2024
And If Tomorrow Doesn’t Come?
Fonderie Kugler
Geneva