LOVE, ANYTHING: 28 EXPRESSIONS FOR 28 LUMINOUS YEARS is a photographic exhibition and speaker series honoring Ryyan Chacra’s life. The Ryyan Chacra Foundation, in partnership with the CU Anschutz Department of Psychiatry OCD Program and the Center for Bioethics and Humanities, presents three speakers series events in the Fulginiti Pavillion at CU Anschutz: 

• May 4, 5:30 p.m. Dr. Moksha Patel UNLOCKING OCD'S GRIP: MY JOURNEY TOWARD TAMING ANXIETY 
• May 14, 5:30 p.m. Lynn Lyons OCD AND ANXIETY IMPACT FAMILIES: THE POWER OF INFORMATION AND SUPPORT 
• June 18, 5:30 p.m. Lissa Soep LOVE, LOSS AND THE LANGUAGE THAT LIVES ON 

About the Artist: Ryyan Chacra was a remarkably gifted photographer who found beauty in overlooked objects by looking at the familiar from an unexpected angle. Tragically, Ryyan struggled with OCD, a tormenting, under-diagnosed, and widely misunderstood brain disorder. It was difficult for Ryyan to express the extent of his suffering to his friends and family; in May 2024, he took his own life. He was just 28 years old. LOVE, ANYTHING will feature a series of Ryyan’s photos on brushed aluminum panels alongside excerpts from his journal entries. In total, the exhibition will display 28 works — one for each year of Ryyan’s life — with the goal of keeping his story alive and spreading awareness about the complexities of OCD.

Artist’s Statement: Like most photo projects, this one began on accident over 10 years ago via the alignment of curiosity about cameras, boredom on Sunday afternoons, and a sense of wonderment about the world and its many lights, moods, and faces.

"Several rounds of formal instruction later, numerous inspirational travels, and quotidian neighborhood strolls have resulted in a portfolio across which a core strand of surrealism and a subset of consistent themes have emerged and been reinforced in ongoing work. They are ready to see the light.

"Free word association leads m e to think these photographs belong with such things a s dark rooms, developer fluid, coffee stains, wine bars, waterfalls, piano keys, bookstores, buttermilk pancakes, fresh parsley, sappy trees, cobblestone streets, typewriters, dumbwaiters, bowling balls, oil cans, moon rocks, mollusks, marzipan...

"Every frame of a dream is generated from wakeful observations.

"[These] photographs are person-captured perspectives of real-life subject matter. Edits are limited to traditional color correction, contrast and cropping. Perceived effects are just the result of painting with light through the lens of the camera via manipulation of shutter speed and aperture.

"[This medium is] large-format, brushed aluminum panels. This rust-resistant, recyclable, feather-light material enshrines the image, creating a n enduring centerpiece for indoor o r outdoor display. Brush marks add depth, capture details with etching-like precision, and bathe the photo in an illusory silver-tone shimmer" -Ryyan Chacra