Ren Manuel

Ren Manuel (they/them)
Studio Art & Art History major

My paintings attempt to capture a life held within the paint, one that cannot be immediately reached or pinned down. Growing up with many “invisible” identities, I often felt as if my inner self and its outer reflection were misaligned. I was told that I did not react to outside stimuli in the “typical” way and was frequently reminded to “smile more” or “smile better.” Portraits of myself as a child explore this dissonance by pairing stormy expressions with flowers — painted, patterned, and real (fake) — to invite connection and offer viewers transportation into the complicated world of a child.

Ren Manuel: Artist’s website