Rene Gonzalez is a London based artist born in Canada, who started painting in the graffiti art scene in Costa Rica, before moving to the UK to undertake a BA in Fine Art Painting at City & Guilds of London Art School. He paints scenes with dream-like landscapes featuring animal characters in forests with luscious vegetation, evoking the magical wonder of the natural world. Foxes, deer, and stars are some of the common motifs in his visual narratives, that have a storytelling aspect to them inspired by his life as a constant migrant, as well as different myth, folklore and a variety of other literature. “The woods are mysterious to me and give a magical sense of wonder that makes me think of the recesses of the human mind, how we deal with the dark and the light. At a personal level, for me my paintings are about facing the world and the self, adversity and beauty, about inner torment and hope”. There does appear to be a storytelling aspect to Rene’s work, and the idea of ‘Myth’ plays a strong role for the artists when it comes to inspiration, research and iconography. Often inspired by Arthurian myth, the tarot, native American symbolism and a variety of literature and folklore from around the world, various elements in his compositions can give an archetypal feel to the works.

His solo exhibitions include shows at The Great Western Studios curated by Milo Astaire (London), Galerie Belem (Paris) and the Luxembourg Art Fair, and he has exhibited in group shows in galleries across the UK, Europe, and America, with the Messums Gallery, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Visions West Contemporary and many more.

He was awarded first place in the Clyde & Co Blank Canvas Art Prize 2015, creating a commissioned twenty-meter painting for it, he produced a mural displayed at the Seven Dials legendary Covent Garden junction in 2020, has collaborated with entities such as Clarks, Vans and the NBA to create unique artworks for charity and his work has been featured in media such as i-D Vice, DATEAGLE Art, Art Maze Mag Magazine and Fad Magazine.