REYNA VERMA'S Artist Statement

"My work is deeply autobiographical exploring the lasting influence of maternal relationships and the ways my experience with girlhood is shaped through connection, memory, and care. I am the daughter of a strong and intelligent woman who, 17 years ago, gave birth to me and my twin sister. Through quiet moments of tight embarrassment, and crowded conversation I learned by example how to exist within the world of girlhood. 

Growing up to value maternal relationships beyond the matriarch, but within friendship, mentorship, and more. My work reflects my sense of gratitude towards my experiences thus far. Each piece serves as a form of recollection, often of a person, space, or both. Working primarily in acrylic and printmaking, I build each composition through loose washes, layered marks, drips, and moments of refined detail. 

This balance between softness and precision mirrors the evolving nature of relationships and memory itself. Some passages remain unresolved and atmospheric, while the moments of high importance become carefully rendered, allowing emotion and process to guide the surface of the work.

 Variations in scale further emphasize emotional significance, elevating certain moments as monumental while allowing quieter experiences to exist with equal tenderness. Through my process of making work I am able to deepen my understanding of the world and relationships around me. Making art is how I have learned to preserve the beauty of the tender relationships that follow me and shape my life."

Reyna Verma, 5/1/26