The Nameless & the Named

Salvaged copper wire, flax pulp, hornets’ nest, waxed linen thread and ink. Utilizes techniques of wirework, random weave, wrapping, papermaking, paper casting, and stippling. This piece speaks to the disequilibrium created by the displacement of millions from their homelands due to scarce resources and political dissension. To the chaos and suffering created by wars, climate change, environmental destruction and famine. To those displaced from their indigenous territories, left to wander in search of safe haven. Their names, possibly recorded but more likely nameless, loved by families and friends, now no more than forgotten statistics in the global dynamics that claimed their lives.

Height: 28
Width: 28
Depth: 4
Photo credit: Bob Stender

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H: 28" | W: 28" | D: 4"

Photo by Bob Stender

Renee Owen

Sebastopol, CA

Playing with the visual poetry of textures, shapes and colors, I enjoy forging a new language, transmuting paper, felt, wire, and wood into sculptures, triggering a topography of discovery and conjuring a collective narrative of impermanence. The organic immersion in mark-making unearths metaphorical artifacts of half-remembered people and places. Working in multiples creates a tactile sense of reverence – for the earth and her ecosystems, for the displaced, now adrift, and for the fragmented nature of humanity. An ethos of sustainability drives my work, with the sabi of using reclaimed materials offering both a puzzle and a palette. More of what moves me is found in my award-winning books of poetry at https://www.reneeowenartandpoetry.com/

NBO Members Exhibition

Renee Owen