Lot 375 - Renata Fernandez - Venezuelan Orchid

Digital drawing digitally cut vinyl on paper
2025
A6 (10x15cm)
Original Artwork
Signed on Verso
Curated by Art on a Postcard

About
Renata Fernandez. b. 1971, Venezuela. Based in London since 2003. Fernandez delves into themes that revolve around immigration, notions of territory, identity, and displacement. These societal issues serve as a potent source of inspiration and contemplation for her, whilst showing a deep yet subtle emotion, as she strives to bring attention to the sociopolitical aspects inherent in the found imagery she incorporates into her work.

Through a multidisciplinary and self-referential approach, Fernandez weaves together a reconstructed memory of landscapes and inhabited spaces, with a static narrative where monster-like tropical plants and outdoor furniture act as signifiers.
Her artistic process stems lately from mostly appropriated social media posts. As Fernandez incorporates these ready-made visuals into her work, she reflects upon how people perceive and define the world through the permanently fast-evolving media, the importance and influence of self-publishing as to what has become more visible, and the impermanence/permanence of images in the digital realm that we would rarely see again.

Drawing on her background in journalism, social sciences, and theatre set design, Fernandez employs her diverse skill set to source, curate, and present her artwork thoughtfully, emphasising the inherent materiality of her works. She remains dedicated to hand-intensive processes, perpetually exploring and experimenting with materials.

Education
Fine Art, painting and sculpture, Armando Reveron University Institute (now UNEARTE), Caracas, Venezuela
Social Sciences, Media and Drama-Set Design, Universidad Catolica Andres Bello, Caracas, Venezuela

Solo Exhibitions
2024
Traders’ Court (end of Artist Residency granted by Earls Court Developing Company), Earls Court, London

2013
Trópico Camuflado, Museo Alejandro Otero, Caracas, Venezuela

Group Exhibitions
2025
Feb, San Esteban, Cabinet Gallery, Caracas, Venezuela

2024
Bury My Songs, curated by Small Works Gallery, in association with Terrace Gallery

2023
238/ARTURO, Espacio Proyecto Libertad, Merida, Venezuela

All women group show with Alex Slato Gallery, Miami

2022
CARTOGRAPHY OF CARE, Spilt Milk Gallery, Edinburgh
ATLAS INCONCLUSO, ABRA CARACAS Gallery, Caracas, Venezuela
CASAX EXHIBITION, BA curatorial project from Central St Martins, UK
Mexican Art Society - now Sommers Gallery - London
WEARY HAROLD, ASC Gallery, London

Public Collections
Earls Court Development Company, London
Breton House, Groucho Club (Yorkshire)

Statement about AOAP Submitted Artwork
The submitted pieces are digital drawings meticulously translated into glossy black self-adhesive vinyl, set against a matte paper backdrop. Each work depicts tropical flowers, rendered in bold, monochromatic contrast. Stripped of their usual vibrant colors, the flowers transcend their traditional associations with lushness, vitality, and tropical abundance. Instead, the absence of color reframes these motifs, inviting viewers to consider their forms, textures, and shadows anew. The interplay between the glossy vinyl and matte surface creates a striking visual tension, further distancing the imagery from conventional expectations and imbuing the pieces with an unexpected sense of intrigue and ambiguity.