Daily Inspiration: Meet Ren Dillard

Hi rEN, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn more about your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today. 

I’ve always been a multidisciplinary artist, although I wasn’t aware of it until much later in life. I seemed to always be looking for creative ways to express myself since I was a little snot-nosed kid.

It started with drawing. Then, singing and music production. Then, it morphed into performance poetry – which I still actively do today. My creative pursuits evolved into painting after I became familiar with the paintings and theories of philosopher Carl Jung. Now, I’m fascinated with mixed media which kind of brings all of my interests together.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

I recently heard a song lyric that I like a lot. The recording artist Sir said, “I’m losing sleep over dreams that were coming true” on his 2024 title track “Heavy.” That lyric leaped out at me through the speakers the first time I heard it because it perfectly summed up most of my adult life up until this point. I was losing a lot of sleep not realizing that things were slowly coming together. Sometimes you have to just trust the process and have faith that everything will work out as it should.

I do believe struggle is an important component in any great artist’s life. It is almost as necessary as learning your way around any creative arts medium. Art without a certain element of suffering to me feels soulless. It’s like soup with no salt. You can eat it, but it tastes so much better with a little seasoning.

Like most full-time artists, it’s the energetic equivalent of blasting a rocket out of space until you can get to a smooth orbit. It takes most of the fuel just to get off of the ground before you get to a place where you can earn a good living off of your work. It breaks down into three steps:

1. First you learn the basics of your craft.

2. Then you figure out what it is you want to say.

3. Then you have to find a way to monetize your work for it to blossom fully.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I am a multidisciplinary creative who wields curation, oil paint, precious metal, spoken word, and collage to express rich and often intricate philosophical ideas through my art. As a contemporary black artisan, I delve into the Western canon, the creations of the old masters, and the conventional concepts of authorship and mastery. In my work, I confront the systematic erasure of black bodies and black identity, capturing the mundane and ephemeral moments of life with deep empathy and insight. My art features dense, textured scenes drawn from my personal experiences, yet I am also deeply committed to forging a new narrative about the future.

Joseph Campbell, the renowned Western philosopher, once remarked, “Myth must be kept alive. The people who can keep it alive are the artists of one kind or another.” I engage with these mythological themes adeptly, employing vibrant colors and intriguing, layered compositions that explore future concepts through a black cultural lens. My challenging life experiences have been instrumental in discovering my artistic potential, leading me to become one of the most esteemed visual artists from Savannah, Georgia.

Throughout history, civilizations have cherished the use of precious metals for their allure and sacredness. The leafing process infuses the inherent worth of the cherished subjects with the spiritual connotations of the precious metal. The perception of luminosity shifts with the viewer’s position and the ambient light. By layering color, texture, and gold leaf, I create transient illusions that appear to move across the surface of my work, reflecting light off the metals and harmonizing technique with the subject.

My fresh perspectives and inventive methods applied to traditional mediums like collage and oil paint result in mesmerizing works. Employing an age-old gold leaf gilding technique, my compelling visuals envelop and captivate the observer. My creations have adorned numerous exhibitions and galleries nationwide.

Behind all of life’s extraordinary manifestations is a singular brilliance that permeates everything. The purpose of art is to disclose this brilliance,” I believe. With vivid and dynamic colors, I craft compelling compositions that address themes of memory, belonging, and the hope for a brighter future.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?

I had a great childhood. It’s hard to put my finger on one specific memory. My parents, siblings, and extended family have always been incredibly supportive of my creative pursuits. There is one thing that stands out now that I think of it. I used to be a part of a singing group. We called ourselves “Poetic Sounds”. We specialized in four-part harmony and would often go to the local train station to harmonize in the rich acoustics there. One day, we performed Boyz to Men’s song “End Of The Road” at a school assembly and nailed it! We got a standing ovation from the whole school and even got chased down the hallway at one point like the Beatles. It’s hard to out do a memory like that in my mind.