About René

Currently living in France, René Shoemaker received a B.F.A. from the University of Georgia (UGA), building a career of painting with dyes to create flowing, colorful work on radiant silk glowing with light. After retiring from her profession as a university librarian at UGA, René continued refining her art, and sharing her techniques while discovering new ways to express the world we collectively share. 

Exhibiting in solo and group shows internationally, Shoemaker delights in exploring our reality through color and line. Her solo exhibitions include museums in Georgia and Mississippi, where her work is held in permanent collections.

In 2020, Shoemaker was awarded the Fiber Forward Focus Fellowship from AIR Serenbe in Georgia, USA.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My art is powerful and dramatic, using bold colors and negative space to embody movement through urban and rural environments; around buildings, down streets, across towns and landscapes. These scenes bring me peace and joy. My work evokes airiness and openness while inviting the viewer inward into the mysteries of the locales. The scale of the flat colors on silk invokes color field paintings and bespoke colors arise vividly between masterful lines.  Gallerist Jérôme Bel wrote of my work: “delicate dyed silk surfaces come to life with a line so singular it is almost a signature”.

Gallery, commission, exhibit and workshop queries welcomed. Press inquiries please email rene@reneshoemaker.com for hi-res images + more.