A. Renae (born Amelia Renae Rone) is a ceramicist and studio artist from Ohio. She goes by A. Renae to maintain a sense of anonymity between herself and the viewers. This division allows others to interpret these extremely intimate pieces on a more personal level.
Growing up surrounded by woodlands, her chief inspiration is nature; even describing the trees as her friends when she was younger. In adolescence, even after moving from her natural element to the suburbs, she found art as an escape and return to the environment she once knew. Independent, transcendent, and a passionate dendrophile, her works often compare elements of nature to her own personal journey. She often addresses her turbulent and formative childhood experiences, a time she refers to as her “lost years”, in her works. She embraces these years of instability and loss of innocence, as they helped her find her voice, passion, and sense of spirituality.
The Earth is her ultimate inspiration, as an artist and a human. Fascinated by natural forms and their symmetry or lack thereof, she is a process-based artist, enjoying the art of making and letting that process determine the outcome. Relishing in many laborious, time-consuming, and at times antiquated techniques, this love of the process is clear in her work. In ceramics, she prefers the process of hand-building her pieces, finishing them through wood firing. She is also experienced in gas (reduction & oxidation), electric, and raku firing. Aside from ceramic work, she also works in printmaking, being well-versed in lithographic processes, wood-block relief, and screen printing.
Aside from the natural environment, some of her artistic inspirations include the works of Sage Cortez and Taylor Sijan, noting their focus on organic form and function. She also draws inspiration from environmental activists like mycologist Paul Stamets, an advocate for natural forms and protection of invasive species including mushrooms and other fungi. She is currently pursuing her Bachelors in Fine Arts (BFA) at the University of Cincinnati with a focus in Ceramics.
“With the Earth in everything I do, I must remember Her in every step of my artist life. I come from a path of deep connections and emotional healing, using my art as a vessel to open conversations with myself and others. I hope my art can give those [that] come across it a sense of wonder [and] peace.”
-A.Renae