"I became an artist to explore the human condition by telling stories visually, because I’ve found that stories – besides being entertaining, educational and often life-changing – have a profound and symbolic way of uncovering truth about humanity. I hope that my narrative drawings will not only inspire thought in people, but also empathy – an emotion that is often overlooked, but so crucial to a society’s health. I also became an artist to express and communicate my relationship with nature, and to represent its beauty with accuracy, care, respect, and honesty." Rowan Pope is a professional studio artist whose work explores the human condition through visual narrative. His drawings and paintings are often inspired by great works of literature, particularly the dark, imaginative writing of Franz Kafka. Alongside these narrative works, Pope creates landscapes and botanical studies that celebrate the quiet beauty of the natural world and humanity’s humble place within it. These pieces invite viewers to discover the extraordinary within the ordinary and to approach the world with renewed wonder. Pope has also worked extensively with genocide and Holocaust survivors, and some of his most powerful works derive from the real-life stories shared by those individuals. His work is grounded in an imaginative form of hyperrealism, integrating photographic source material into digital collages that are then transformed into meticulous, hand-rendered drawings. Born in California and raised in the Twin Cities Metro, Pope graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University and earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota, where he has served as an Adjunct Professor for twelve years. He has also taught design and color theory at Minneapolis College of Art and Design for over a decade. In 2013, he created an illustrated book based on the stories of Holocaust survivor Joe Grosnacht, for which he received a Major Arts Grant from Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish Council. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is held in numerous private and public collections, including the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Walker Art Center. Rowan and his twin brother, Bly, were raised by parents who are writers and have been creating art together since they were children. Rowan’s career highlights include working with David Feinberg on his Voice to Vision project during his MFA at the University of Minnesota; acquisitions by Minneapolis Institute of Art (2018 & exhibition with Bly Pope) and the Walker Art Center (2019, 2025); a feature-length article in the Star Tribune about the Pope Brothers' Mia exhibition, their life, twinship, and art (2019); and all of the collaborative shows with his brother, Bly, over the years - "it’s an unforgettable and lifelong honor to show work with Bly." Marrying his wife, Clare Odin, in 2025 is the highlight of Rowan’s non-art life. Bly & Rowan Pope, Minneapolis Institute of Art, 2018