Nicholas Rena is born in 1963. He studied architecture at Cambridge University followed by an MA in Ceramics at the Royal College of Art. His bold, poetic forms explore ceramic archetypes - bowl, jug etc. - in a way that make the simplest of shapes appear unexpected and resonant. His new Transit Space series of vessels consists of thin-walled, slip-cast forms, characterized by taut lines and slow curves, whereas Rena in his earlier work was much more preoccupied with monumental mass, weight and rigidity. In Transit Space, there is often the suggestion of inflation, as if the inner voids were filled with gas or air - an impression further aided in an intimation of a chin, throat and thorax. The polished clay surfaces have a bone-like tactility, which is both sensuous and inviting. The interplay between line, edge, interior/exterior has become more complex and has pushed Rena to the forefront of a new generation of artists exploring fresh possibilities with the language of abstraction. Rena's work can be found in the permanent collections of the Crafts Council, London; Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris; National Crafts Museum, Copenhagen; and The Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, USA (text: PulsCeramics.com).
Images: Nicholas Rena, portrait (source culture24.org.uk); various bowls (source Pinterest); tow objects (source Studio International).
Nicholas Rena is born in 1963. He studied architecture at Cambridge University followed by an MA in Ceramics at the Royal College of Art. His bold, poetic forms explore ceramic archetypes - bowl, jug etc. - in a way that make the simplest of shapes appear unexpected and resonant. His new Transit Space series of vessels consists of thin-walled, slip-cast forms, characterized by taut lines and slow curves, whereas Rena in his earlier work was much more preoccupied with monumental mass, weight and rigidity. In Transit Space, there is often the suggestion of inflation, as if the inner voids were filled with gas or air - an impression further aided in an intimation of a chin, throat and thorax. The polished clay surfaces have a bone-like tactility, which is both sensuous and inviting. The interplay between line, edge, interior/exterior has become more complex and has pushed Rena to the forefront of a new generation of artists exploring fresh possibilities with the language of abstraction. Rena's work can be found in the permanent collections of the Crafts Council, London; Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris; National Crafts Museum, Copenhagen; and The Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, USA (text: PulsCeramics.com).
Images: Nicholas Rena, portrait (source culture24.org.uk); various bowls (source Pinterest); tow objects (source Studio International).