Ren Anan

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 Artist Statement:

My practice encompasses a wide range of media, including wood and metal sculpture, ceramics, digital fabrication, glassblowing, and printmaking. My work addresses themes of personal experience and identity, specifically my cultural and racial background, the dualities of multiculturalism, psychology, and the subconscious. My art reflects my mixed-race Brazilian, Japanese, and European heritage. Art is a way for me to explore and understand my diverse but complicated identity and the unique perspectives that come with growing up and living at such intersections. On top of that, I want my work to serve as a reminder of the richness of each culture and the importance of learning about those who came before us in order to preserve and recognize our roots, traditions, and collective heritage. As most of my racial ancestry is Japanese, traditional Japanese iconography strongly influences my artwork. My sculptures also abstract the human figures to reflect upon the human condition and psyche itself. I abstract the figures’ shapes and forms into distressing and distorted poses, which convey emotions such as agony, despair, anguish, and sorrow. The absence of color adds to the haunting and unsettling effect, however, I also want them to be enigmatically beautiful and visually compelling. My choice of materials and processes is also very important to my artistic practice. I explore and mix different media in my artwork blending traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques to create innovative and unexpected outcomes. This invites the viewer to recognize the process and appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into my work.

Bio: 

Ren Anan (b. 1999) is a traditional and digital sculptor. He is a Japanese-European artist born in São Paulo, Brazil, but currently resides and works in Minnesota, MN. He has a BFA Fine Arts degree from Ringling College of Art & Design, class of 2023. Ren has attended residencies at NE Sculpture | Gallery Factory (Minnesota, MN, 2023), Salem Art Works (Salem, NY, 2023), and Pilchuk Glass School (Stanwood, WA, 2022). He was awarded the AXA US Finalist Art Prize (New York, NY, 2023), Best of Ringling – Bronze Award (Sarasota, FL, 2023), and Crossing the Finishing Line Award (Sarasota, FL, 2023). He has been an active participant in numerous group exhibitions, including Silly Geese (Salem, NY, 2023), Antithesis, 然[Rán], Pot-Pourri, and Memoir (Sarasota, FL, 2022-2023) group exhibitions. To quote Ren about his work: “What drives me to create my art is how I can explore, reflect upon, and finally translate visually my life’s experiences and my personal identity into a compelling piece, something tangible.” 

Social Media: IG @Ren_Ascense  

Website: Ren Anan