Renata Rush is a Brazilian-American artist based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After a successful 25-year career in engineering, she transitioned to painting full-time to pursue a deeper, more authentic form of self-expression. Her layered, emotionally resonant abstract works reflect a personal journey of transformation, blending instinct and structure, intuition and refinement.

Inspired by the lush textures of the natural world and the bold elegance of Brazilian modernist design, Renata’s work often features birds and botanicals as recurring motifs. These symbols serve as metaphors for freedom, protection, and the complexity of inner life.

Her process begins with spontaneous, gestural mark-making in ink and acrylic, building textured foundations through stencils, collage, and mixed media. She then develops each piece with layers of oil, allowing intuitive exploration to guide the emergence of form and meaning. The result is a visual language that is both symbolic and grounded—evoking emotional depth while inviting the viewer into a process of reflection.

Rather than striving for aesthetic harmony or serenity, her paintings explore themes of identity, resilience, and the courage to live truthfully. Each work is a map of emotional experience—revealing the push and pull between vulnerability and strength, clarity and uncertainty.

Renata sees art as a practice of becoming: a way to reconnect with what is essential, to embrace contradiction, and to celebrate the power of individuality in the face of conformity.