Monomyth: The Stories I Tell Myself

​Ryan Hamburger

In this body of work, I explore the enduring mysteries of life through a deeply personal lens. By reflecting on themes of Self, Family, Society, and Spirituality, I have begun to weave a personal mythology—one that draws equally from science fiction and fantasy, ancient religious traditions, and pure, distilled symbolism. These narratives are both intimate and expansive, rooted in my own lived experiences yet shaped by the archetypal patterns that have guided storytellers for millennia.
The first half of this exhibition follows points along my own Hero’s Journey, mapping my wanderings within the framework of universal story structures. These works anchor my personal moments—moments of discovery, loss, transformation—inside the timeless patterns shared across cultures and generations.
The second half turns toward the tools and technologies I’ve imagined for navigating this journey. Here, I create symbolic maps, psychological instruments, and conceptual devices—artifacts that serve as guides for self-understanding and way-finding through the complex terrain of human experience.
By moving between the specific and the universal, this work reflects the paradox that personal truths often bring us to shared ground. The journey inward is also the journey outward.
“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”
— T. S. Eliot