Rena Sava

Artist Statement

 Abstracting subjects, whether architectural, natural or figurative, is the focus of my work in painting, drawing and printmaking. My experience of the world around me is informed by an extensive background in the design field.

 Seeing patterns and design in the play and shapes of light and shadow on structures, spaces and openings and how light deconstructs and alters their proportions and planar relationships has been a developing interest leading to my current series. 

 When I find a subject that interests me in those ways, I set to work simplifying and altering the design, particularly the proportions of space and shape, as well as the interplay of planes and line. I work in layers, which is well suited to printmaking and allows me to layer up translucent colours in order to create new and unexpected colour relationships.

My current series (which I think of as deconstructions of structures) is made up of relief reduction prints, each piece using a styrofoam matrix, re-carved and reduced after printing each colour. I enjoy the physical experience of carving the styrofoam plates and also how the styrofoam behaves, breaking down more with each colour printing, so that there is a building collection of marks on the surface made by the process, not by me. That combination of applying my intention with adapting to those process-based “accidents” is why I’ve chosen to focus on this approach.