STATEMENT
My name is Kate Renee and I am a professional artist who paints acrylic on birch panels with resin.
My work is edgy with a veneer of cute as I am inspired by fairytales and popular storybook characters. I make my work approachable through the bright, coloring book-style visage while layering in metaphors and symbolism. The paintings teeter towards uncomfortable content as I investigate political, social, feminist, and cultural nuances to provoke both visual and conversational discussions with my viewers. Sarcastic and conversational titles ask questions and make bold statements that illuminate the narratives and personalities to the doll-like characters.
GOOGILY EYE TREATISE
A signature visual element of Kate Renee’s work is the use of one large eye and one small eye. While this characteristic brands her work as recognizable, the eyes anthropomorphize inanimate objects and give them life. In opposition, the eyes deconstruct the lively aspects of humans, characters, or animals. At first glance, these characters appear familiar but take a second look and they are quite unfamiliar. This visual twist helps deliver the central message of the work.
BIO
Kate Renee is a professional artist and creative entrepreneur from Minneapolis, MN. She has been a blogger since 2011 and loves to write about arts business topics on her blog, What Art School Didn’t Teach You. Recently, Kate received her Master of Arts in Art and Cultural Management from St. Mary’s University where she focused on Arts Entrepreneurship. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Art and Art History from the University of Minnesota.
Kate runs her own consulting business where she guides emerging artists and creative entrepreneurs through their various goals and projects. She also is the business arts teacher at Artistry, a local nonprofit organization in Minnesota.