rEN dillard

In his “dreamscapes” rEN Dillard combines paint, collage and precious metals, like gold leaf and silver, to explore themes of memory, belonging and the anticipation of a better future.

“The reflective surfaces act as mirrors, inviting viewers to see themselves within the work,” said Dillard, a Georgia native. “And to consider their own process of becoming.”

Artist: Ralph “rEN” Dillard was born and grew up in Savannah. He attended Savannah State University, where he majored in mass communications and took a few art classes.

In 2005, Dillard moved to Philadelphia. While living there, he was inspired by the city’s colorful public murals and began drawing and painting. Dillard also took art classes and met Lilliana Didovic, an artist who believed in his work and curated his first gallery show in 2009.

“Philadelphia is where my visual art talents really began to take shape and definition,” said Dillard.

Dillard moved back to Georgia in 2012 and settled in Atlanta, where he works as an artist and curator of contemporary art shows.

Company/studio: Renswork Studio started in 2017. The artist works out of three studios:

A converted storefront in East Atlanta Village.
A home studio in West Atlanta.
StudioSwan in Chattahoochee Hills.

Art & materials: Wall art that includes stylized portraiture and surrealist landscapes using a combination of mixed media textures, collage and precious metals, like gold leaf, copper and silver. ($2,000 to $20,000).
“In my work, materials are more than mediums,” said Dillard. “They are symbols of transformation.”

Inspirations:

Afrofuturism and futurism.
Dillard’s use of precious metals, such as gold and silver, becomes a powerful metaphor for alchemy and spiritual transformation.
Philosophers, including Joseph Campbell, Alan Watts, Bobby Hemmitt, Ram Dass and Dr. Frances Cress Welsing.

Must-have tool: A really sharp X-Acto knife.

Recent project: Co-curated the exhibit, “Hold the Line, Volume III: Ode to the Black Woman” at the PATH Museum in Atlanta.

The exhibit features the work of 50 Black male artists who pay tribute to the power, beauty, and resilience of Black women. Through Nov.10.

What’s next:

A Gullah Geechee Art Celebration at the J. Costello Gallery in Hilton Head Island, SC. Jan. 29-Feb. 28.
Curating a new exhibition at The ArtsXchange in East Point, GA. Opens February (TBA).

Curating and exhibiting a group show at the Emma Darnell Aviation Museum and Conference Center in Atlanta. The show title, “Skeletons Become Children,” is based on the Egyptian Book of the Dead. August (TBA)

Where to buy: