René Romero Schuler’s latest show Behind Blue Eyes at Zolla Lieberman Gallery in Chicago comprises paintings and sculptures of women in big poofy, princess dresses. The women in her paintings are her alter egos, elegant, thoughtful women who are painted with heavily textured paint. The exhibition revisits a show she had 20 years ago, and we sat down with René to ask her all about her work.
When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I’ve known since I was in kindergarten what my life plan was. I second-guessed it a number of times along the way, because who can honestly say that, right?! But it’s true. I even wrote my parents a letter (I was raised away from them for a time in Ecuador with my grandparents) and I told them that when I grew up I would have my work in museums and I would drive a Rolls Royce because they have my initials all over them. 😂
Who are the figures in your paintings?
They are a lot of me, and even more who I am not. They are my champions, my alter egos, my inner child, and they are everyone.
Can you tell us about the work in Behind Blue Eyes?
I wanted to step outside of what I am known for, and introduce some more elegant, thoughtful, and contemplative works that reflect much of where I am now in life, while still embracing all of the vulnerabilities and challenges that have shaped who I am. The resulting figures are more serious, more heavily textured, and they are seated…thoughtful.
Behind Blue Eyes refers to an exhibition you had 20 years ago, how has your work changed since then?
My figures have become more clearly rendered, and I believe they feel more confident and joyful.
What do you hope people take away from the exhibition?
I always want people to sense that I am expressing a lot of emotions and dualities that we grapple with as humans. Life is full of so many things that have stripped us of trust, inner peace, faith, and so on, but we are still here. We still get up, get out and we get done what needs doing. It may not sound like much but that’s a powerful thing. We rise beyond our circumstances. We try to look our best, feel our best, be our best. That is what’s in my figures.
The women in your paintings are wearing what look like princess type dresses, what inspires their outfits?
I am embracing the quintessentially feminine idea of femininity because it’s just inherently and perhaps obviously “pretty.” I was a tomboy as a kid and was often confused by people who thought I was a boy. My mother made me keep my hair short and my father was pretty harsh, so I hid behind this facade to keep safe. Now, given my work, I spend most of my days in painted-up jeans, hair up, and not feeling particularly pretty or feminine. The figures I create remind me that I still see and experience this world through a very feminine lens. They remind me of who I am at my core.
You make paintings and sculptures, what is your favourite medium? How does the process differ between the two?
I am a painter first and foremost. I always have been. Sculpting, however, has brought my figurative work into a dimension that allows me to tinker, weave, and deeply work with my hands. There is great gratification in the process, and each piece is truly a labor of love. They take a long time to create!
What are your plans for the future with your art?
My plan is what it has always been: to stay true to my own voice, to take my time and feel what I am doing, and to always create the absolute best work that I know how to do.
