We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Renee Canetta a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Renee, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

My first solo exhibition The Anatomical Jewel that is on view at HighLow Cafe in St. Louis through October 12th 2024, holds a special place in my heart. I have spent years creating this singular body of work to express womanhood in today’s world. This became a commentary on what it means to navigate current societal struggles while attempting to unweave our systemic and continued oppression.

I expressed this story with various sculptures made from clay, plaster, epoxy, and bespoke beading.

Renee, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Creating has always been a big part of my life. From the earliest days of my memory, I have dreamt of colorful worlds and ethereal characters. I started my art career like most do, in the confines of my art stoodz, crammed in a quiet basement with a fresh set of prismacolor colored pencils and a blank piece of paper. I remember feeling the fuzzy sparkle of butterflies in my stomach the first time I finished a piece of art that I had completely imagined in my own head. Those butterflies have never gone away. When your wildest dreams, your scariest thoughts, or most precious memories are brought to life in an actual tangible form, it can be daunting, magical, limitless. This is something I have only achieved with creating art.

Slowly, I started gathering the courage to share my art with other people. This became a window into a world I didn’t know existed. To share my heart with people who may understand it? That is a priceless feeling, and that is a big part of why I create. Art as a form of therapy? SIGN. ME. UP. I started to see through sadness and stress, and I drenched it all in bright colors, shiny gems, and tears of epoxy.

I live and work in St. Louis full time, and create as often as I can. Come share your stories with me. Let’s create in a world without limits.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of creating for me, is sharing such a deep personal part of me that leads me to people who feel the same. Growing a community is important to me. I’ve been lucky to meet so many wonderful people through my art, and for my passion to be the driving force for that is incredible. Another important aspect to creating is that it is not only my passion, but my stress relief and my calm.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Visibility and support is everything to a creative person. Simply sharing art with others can be the most basic way to help any small artist with their work. Creating more spaces for artists to share their work that are accessible to all is also essential. Art is a vital part of living.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Renee-canetta.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/renee.canetta

Image Credits

Renee Canetta