Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Canetta
Hi Renee, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As early as I could remember, I’ve always been drawn to creating. It wasn’t until high school that I realized I had a deep passion for it. My art teacher was incredibly inspiring, and taught us to always explore without restraint. This way of teaching exposed me to many different mediums and gave me the confidence to jump into them headlong. This thinking stayed with me and shapes my practice today.
It became a necessity for me to have a studio space for creating wherever I went. This is an outlet for my stress, or pain, and even joy!
I started slowly with drawing and painting. I began showing locally and getting accepted in group shows throughout the metro area. This led me to start experimenting with sculptural work; something I had only briefly touched on in high school. Sculpture has unlocked a whole new world for me. Falling in love with sculpture has become one of the great loves of my life. The feeling of creating a solid and tangible piece of artwork from a mass of clay is unmatched.
Today I still hold that love of exploration in my heart when I create, using all types of mediums and creating in many different ways.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Unfortunately, it hasn’t been the smoothest road. With the reality of the world and its challenges, making a career from art can be almost impossible, especially as a woman. Visibility in today’s world is hard-earned and near non-existent against a large echo of voices in a vast algorithm controlled timeline, and as an artist, visibility is everything. I learned very quickly that this working as an artist full time wasn’t an option for me, and went to school to become a registered nurse instead. This relegated my art to a more private passion.
For me, creating is my therapy; it’s compulsive, mandatory, ever-present. Because of this, a lack of visibility could never deter my need for creating.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a self-taught artist, currently working in sculpture. I spend my free time creating in my stoodz as a way to channel the every day stress of life and existence into colorful representations of who I am. I love to work with tough subject matter like trauma, sexuality, gender identity, mental health, feminism, misogyny, homophobia, and social justice. These subjects are a passion of mine, and consistently influence my work.
I work with an wide range of mediums, but like to drench my art in color and shining gems. The contrast between the fun and inviting shapes and colors to the darkness of the subject matter, has been an effective way for me to communicate to the world. To make the darkest parts of life into the beautiful.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I am aware that my art can cover subjects that are polarizing. Women who are loud and outspoken about their sexuality, or their views, have historically been seen as less than or undesirable. Inherently, this makes my art risky. I think that taking risks and pushing the envelope is a fundamental part of creating art. Artists should always feel comfortable to express themselves without the chains of expectation holding them back. The voice of the artist is a fundamental part of change in our society.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Renee-canetta.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/renee.canetta
