About Aenea!

Aenea (uh-nee-yuh) Keren is a painter from St. Paul, Minnesota, who is about to complete her BFA at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Her work focuses on visually archiving emotional experiences through muppets and the human figure. Her collage-heavy narratives explore themes of autonomy, identity, and sexuality. Her work has been included in the ArtPop Columbus Street Art, Ohio Governor’s Youth Art, and Central Ohio Scholastic Art exhibitions, and can be seen in the upcoming exhibition, Vital Condition, at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery.

Statement

In my work, I create a visual narration of my emotional experiences. I explore the space between objects and experiences in my life, and the tension created in that space. This visual conversation generates a narrative in which I contemplate and process my identity as an autonomous woman. My visual imagery is sourced from a lifelong collection of pictures and writings, including journal entries, birthday cards, used post-it notes, song lyrics, photographs, and magazine letters. I represent myself in these collages through both human and muppet forms, and this changing form explores the multiplicity within my physical, political and sexual identities.