Renata Petersen's practice explores religious and social themes, infused with a sharp sense of dark humor. Through vignettes that closely engage with comics and caricature, her work moves between satirical reinterpretations and explorations of phenomena with deep resonance in popular culture. She addresses topics such as cults, urban legends, gender roles, contemporary sexuality, and the subjectivity inherent in the concept of "bad taste."
Her production incorporates direct references to figures such as Mike Kelley, Sarah Lucas, Raymond Pettibon, and Kim Gordon, interwoven with her own fascination with pornography, scatology, and hypermediated trash television. This intertextuality is materialized through artisanal processes deeply rooted in Guadalajara, such as ceramics and blown glass, generating a dialogue between tradition and transgression.
Lives and works in Guadalajara.
She holds a degree in Visual Arts from the National School of Painting, Sculpture, and Printmaking "La Esmeralda" (INBA, Mexico City).
Her recent exhibitions include OTR^S MUND^S (Museo Tamayo, Mexico City, 2024), Teópolis (Pequod Co., Mexico City, 2022), and Las cosas que nos inventamos: Contemporary Art from Guadalajara (Oklahoma Contemporary, 2022). She is currently preparing her upcoming exhibition at the Hammer Museum, as part of the public program Hammer Projects. She has also participated in various artist residencies, including the Hammer Museum (California, USA), Cuadro 22 (Chur, Switzerland), Fundación Casa Wabi (Oaxaca, Mexico), and Taller Los Guayabos (Guadalajara, Mexico).
In recent years, her work has been included in prominent public and private collections, including Phillips/Yuyito, the Marcela and José Noé Suro Collection, and the Alma Colectiva Collection, among others.
