Artist Statement::


"Mt. Sumeru is contained in the grain of a mustard seed." --Li Yu

A native of Southern California, Ren Adams has been working in the visual arts for more than 20 years, with an emphasis on printmaking and Chinese brush painting. Her work combines a reverence for traditional art-making with an insatiable desire to explore and document the interconnectedness of all things.

As a Taoist, her work is both a form of moving meditation and an articulation of the Tao itself, investigating concepts of balance, harmony, enlightenment, consciousness, pattern and time, while celebrating the ordinary as extraordinary. Through “li,” or vigorous strength, lines are expressive and loose, conveying a sense of timelessness that unites philosophy, nature and mysticism. Each piece captures the present moment and offers a virtual archaological dig of being.

With a formal background spanning art, poetry, anthropology, and music, her interdisciplinary approach creates a sense of inclusiveness, making each mark a conversation about the journey, the momentary synapse, the never-ending meditation of things. The ordinary becomes extraordinary and the most wonderful epiphanies can be found in the simplest things. 



Artist Bio::


A native of Southern California, Ren Adams has been working in the visual arts for more than 20 years, with an emphasis on painting and printmaking. Her work combines a reverence for traditional art making with an insatiable desire to explore and document the interconnection of all things.

As a Taoist, her work is both a form of moving meditation and an analysis of the Tao itself, investigating concepts of balance, harmony, enlightenment, consciousness, and time, while celebrating the ordinary as extraordinary. Through “li,” or “vigorous strength,” lines and forms are expressive, conveying a sense of immediacy that unites philosophy, history, nature and mysticism.

Adams’ work is influenced by traditional Chinese, Japanese, Persian, Indian, and Egyptian painting and printmaking. In addition, she finds a strong attraction to the works of William Kentridge, Giovanni Piranesi, Fu Yi Yao, Chu Tuan, Li Lung Mien, Ma Yuan and Shitao, as well as ancient cave frescoes and grotto paintings.

Her current projects combine printmaking with traditional Chinese brush painting, Eastern philosophy, science and nature. The Archaeology of Being, her upcoming Honor's Thesisproject, is an expansive show which discusses the nature of existence and form through experimental prints. In addition to producing several new themed series and exploring various methods of hybrid printmaking, Adams has also recently worked as a Printer’s Assistant to Shaurya Kumar.

Originally devoted to the performing arts, poetry and humanities, Adams has a degree in English, with a minor in anthropology and is currently completing an Honor’s Thesis in studio art, printmaking. She teaches classes in art and humanities through the University of New Mexico.

Adams served as the publicist for the Factory on 5th Art Space in Albuquerque, New Mexico, were she was also Assistant Show Coordinator under Robert Redus. She was co-founder and President of the Duke City Renegades Art Guild and founded The Wooden Cow Gallery and Art Space, a massive co-operative project. Adams served as gallery President and Advertising Director during early operations and was responsible for a variety of inventive fundraising techniques. Adams is a member of the Chinese Brush Painting Society of Kyoto, Japan, the treasurer of the University of New Mexico Print Club and a member of the Southern Graphics Council International.

Adams has also worked in event coordination and has been responsible for the creation and execution of a number of themed shows, including the Duke City Renegades Winter Art Festival. Adams’s work appears in a number of publications, textbooks, magazines and nonfiction editions. 

Her husband, Ken Murakami, is a sculptor, metalsmith, and printmaker also producing work in Albuquerque. 

Adams was born in 1974 in Los Angeles County, California. Her parents (Rosalie Adams Rushing and Craige Adams) are also artists in the Los Angeles area. 



Academic Bio::

Originally devoted to music and the performing arts, Ren studied visual art, music, anthropology, mythology, and poetry at Antelope Valley Community College, where she graduated with honors (summa cum laude). She mentored in poetry under Charles Hood and Robert Peters and went on to attend the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied poetry under Thom Gunn and pursued additional techniques in art and writing. She has a B.A. from UC Berkeley and offers classes through the UNM campus, as well as through her own private studio. Ren was also a Berkeley Alumni Scholar from 1996 - 1997.

Ren has always been fascinated by cross-disciplinary studies and she finds traditional Chinese brush painting and printmaking to be the perfect blend of history, artistry, and harmony. Many of her pieces explore the physical manifestations of man's exploration of the universe--ancient ruins, archaic script, and meditative spiritual art, from cave paintings to sculpture. She is concerned with both the marriage of esoteric concepts to visual representation and the preservation of traditional art forms, while also embracing the present moment and future growth.

 Ren is also a published writer and poet, whose poetry has appeared in many literary publications. Within her music career, she also performed in a number of select ensembles, including the Los Angeles Olympics opening ceremony band, regional and state honor bands, the Tournament of Roses Marching Band, and other groups. Her mixture of visual, written, and audio art gives her a unique angle of expression which sometimes crosses disciplines.

Ren currently completing an Honor’s Thesis in studio art, printmaking. She teaches classes in art and humanities through the University of New Mexico.